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 A. Garden 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 letter grade in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden Lake | Lake | A | 6 mi | 5 ft | 55 ft |
| 2 | Farm Lake | Lake | A | 6.5 mi | 5.5 ft | 56 ft |
| 3 | Fenske Lake | St. Louis | A | 6.5 mi | 11.5 ft | 43 ft |
| 4 | Fall Lake | Lake | A | 6.7 mi | 5.5 ft | 32 ft |
| 5 | Bear Island Lake | St. Louis | A | 10.2 mi | 7 ft | 62 ft |
| 6 | Ed Shave Lake | St. Louis | A | 12.4 mi | 11.5 ft | 17 ft |
| 7 | Bear Head Lake | St. Louis | A | 12.9 mi | 11 ft | 46 ft |
| 8 | Big Lake | St. Louis | A | 13.7 mi | 8.2 ft | 22 ft |
| 9 | August Lake | Lake | A | 15.5 mi | 4.7 ft | 19 ft |
| 10 | Dunnigan Lake | Lake | A | 17.5 mi | 11.4 ft | 14 ft |
| 11 | Slate Lake | Lake | A | 18.2 mi | 4.4 ft | 7 ft |
| 12 | Middle Mcdougal Lake | Lake | A | 24.1 mi | 3.6 ft | 7 ft |
| 13 | Isabella Lake | Lake | A | 27.5 mi | 4.4 ft | 19 ft |
| 14 | Colby Lake | St. Louis | A | 29 mi | 3 ft | 30 ft |
| 15 | Sabin Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.2 mi | 2.1 ft | 52 ft |
| 16 | Whitewater Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.5 mi | 14 ft | 73 ft |
| 17 | Pine Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.8 mi | 7.5 ft | 14 ft |
| 18 | Wynne Lake | St. Louis | A | 30.9 mi | 7.3 ft | 52 ft |
| 19 | Dumbbell Lake | Lake | A | 34.2 mi | 14.8 ft | 40 ft |
| 20 | Silver Island Lake | Lake | A | 35.7 mi | 4.4 ft | 16 ft |
| 21 | Cadotte Lake | St. Louis | A | 36.2 mi | 10.2 ft | 18 ft |
| 22 | Windy Lake | Lake | A | 38.7 mi | 5.5 ft | 39 ft |
| 23 | Wilson Lake | Lake | A | 40 mi | 10.7 ft | 53 ft |
| 24 | Eagles Nest Lake | St. Louis | B | 12 mi | 15.5 ft | 49 ft |
| 25 | Dragon Lake | Lake | B | 21.8 mi | 7.5 ft | 15 ft |
| 26 | Big Rice Lake | St. Louis | B | 32.5 mi | - | 5 ft |
| 27 | East Twin Lake | St. Louis | C | 5.6 mi | 4.9 ft | 22 ft |
| 28 | Everett Lake | St. Louis | C | 6 mi | 7 ft | 15 ft |
| 29 | One Pine Lake | St. Louis | C | 6.4 mi | 4.5 ft | 13 ft |
| 30 | Johnson Lake | St. Louis | C | 6.8 mi | 3 ft | 18 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.