Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Ely
Minnesota
30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Ely, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for grade A, B, or C water quality, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).
Ely sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. Miner'S Pit West Lake (A) leads the cluster.
Filtered for kayaking, the nearby-lake list narrows further. kayaking-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miner'S Pit West Lake | St. Louis | A | 0.6 mi | 23.1 ft | 140 ft |
| 2 | Little Long Lake | St. Louis | A | 2.7 mi | 21 ft | 45 ft |
| 3 | Little Armstrong Lake | St. Louis | A | 9.9 mi | 15.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 4 | Armstrong Lake | St. Louis | A | 10.4 mi | 16.2 ft | 34 ft |
| 5 | Eagles Nest Lake | St. Louis | A | 12 mi | 15.5 ft | 49 ft |
| 6 | Tofte Lake | Lake | A | 14.3 mi | 18.5 ft | 73 ft |
| 7 | St James Pit Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.7 mi | 47.6 ft | 381 ft |
| 8 | Lost Lake | St. Louis | A | 39.4 mi | 23 ft | 44 ft |
| 9 | Hanson Lake | Lake | A | 39.9 mi | 18 ft | 100 ft |
| 10 | East Twin Lake | St. Louis | A | 5.8 mi | 13.1 ft | 51 ft |
| 11 | Fenske Lake | St. Louis | A | 6.5 mi | 11.5 ft | 43 ft |
| 12 | Ed Shave Lake | St. Louis | A | 12.4 mi | 11.5 ft | 17 ft |
| 13 | Bear Head Lake | St. Louis | A | 12.9 mi | 11 ft | 46 ft |
| 14 | Dunnigan Lake | Lake | A | 17.5 mi | 11.4 ft | 14 ft |
| 15 | Meander Lake | St. Louis | A | 20.6 mi | 13 ft | 25 ft |
| 16 | Whitewater Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.5 mi | 14 ft | 73 ft |
| 17 | Dumbbell Lake | Lake | A | 34.2 mi | 14.8 ft | 40 ft |
| 18 | Cadotte Lake | St. Louis | A | 36.2 mi | 10.2 ft | 18 ft |
| 19 | Wilson Lake | Lake | A | 40 mi | 10.7 ft | 53 ft |
| 20 | Shagawa Lake | St. Louis | B | 0.9 mi | 8.9 ft | 48 ft |
| 21 | Low Lake | St. Louis | B | 5.3 mi | 8.7 ft | 40 ft |
| 22 | Everett Lake | St. Louis | B | 6 mi | 7 ft | 15 ft |
| 23 | Wolf Lake | St. Louis | B | 7.3 mi | 9 ft | 28 ft |
| 24 | Clear Lake | St. Louis | B | 9.6 mi | 11 ft | 24 ft |
| 25 | Bear Island Lake | St. Louis | B | 10.2 mi | 7 ft | 62 ft |
| 26 | Big Lake | St. Louis | B | 13.7 mi | 8.2 ft | 22 ft |
| 27 | Good Lake | Lake | B | 13.8 mi | 10 ft | 51 ft |
| 28 | Moose Lake | Lake | B | 18.6 mi | 13 ft | 65 ft |
| 29 | Campers Lake | Lake | B | 21.1 mi | - | 2.5 ft |
| 30 | Dragon Lake | Lake | B | 21.8 mi | 7.5 ft | 15 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.