Best Lakes for Swimming Near Ely
Minnesota
30 swimming lakes within driving distance of Ely, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and swimming-specific filters. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Ely sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade A. Little Long Lake (A) leads the cluster.
Filtered for swimming, the nearby-lake list narrows further. swimming-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 | Little Long Lake | St. Louis | A | 2.8 mi | 21 ft | - |
| 2 | Burntside Lake | St. Louis | A | 6 mi | 16 ft | - |
| 3 | Little Armstrong Lake | St. Louis | A | 9.9 mi | 15.5 ft | - |
| 4 | Armstrong Lake | St. Louis | A | 10.4 mi | 16.2 ft | - |
| 5 | Eagles Nest Lake | St. Louis | A | 12 mi | 15.5 ft | - |
| 6 | Tofte Lake | Lake | A | 14.3 mi | 18.5 ft | - |
| 7 | Indiana Lake | Lake | A | 14.7 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 8 | Clearwater Lake | Lake | A | 15.7 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 9 | Parent Lake | Lake | A | 22.4 mi | 23 ft | - |
| 10 | Birch Lake | Unknown | A | 24.5 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 11 | Boot Lake | Lake | A | 24.8 mi | 16.5 ft | - |
| 12 | Ahsub Lake | Lake | A | 25 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 13 | 38-0502-00 Lake | Lake | A | 26.6 mi | 21 ft | - |
| 14 | Vera Lake | Lake | A | 27.7 mi | 19 ft | - |
| 15 | Missionary Lake | Lake | A | 29.3 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 16 | Bear Head Lake | St. Louis | A | 12.9 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 17 | Triangle Lake | Lake | A | 14.5 mi | 12.3 ft | - |
| 18 | Fenske Lake | St. Louis | B | 6.5 mi | 11.5 ft | - |
| 19 | North Branch Kawishi Lake | Lake | B | 9.2 mi | 8.2 ft | - |
| 20 | Clear Lake | St. Louis | B | 9.6 mi | 10.8 ft | - |
| 21 | Crab Lake | St. Louis | B | 9.8 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 22 | Sandpit Lake | Lake | B | 10.1 mi | 14 ft | - |
| 23 | Clark Lake | St. Louis | B | 10.2 mi | 12.5 ft | - |
| 24 | Tin Can Mike Lake | Lake | B | 11.2 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 25 | Good Lake | Lake | B | 13.8 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 26 | Gun Lake | St. Louis | B | 14.9 mi | 11.5 ft | - |
| 27 | Sinneeg Lake | St. Louis | B | 16.5 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 28 | Washte Lake | Lake | B | 16.7 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 29 | Dunnigan Lake | Lake | B | 17.5 mi | 10.1 ft | - |
| 30 | Moose Lake | Lake | B | 18.7 mi | 13 ft | - |
Other activities near Ely
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.