Safest Lakes to Swim Near Ely
Minnesota
30 lakes within driving distance of Ely, Minnesota pass our swim-safety screen — grade A/B water, low algae, and public access. 0 have direct bacteria (E. coli) testing on record. 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 B. Miner'S Pit West 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 | Swim Safety | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miner'S Pit West Lake | St. Louis | A | Low algae | 0.6 mi | 23.1 ft | 140 ft |
| 2 | Little Long Lake | St. Louis | A | Limited data | 2.7 mi | 21 ft | 45 ft |
| 3 | Burntside Lake | St. Louis | A | Low algae | 6 mi | 16 ft | 126 ft |
| 4 | Little Armstrong Lake | St. Louis | A | Limited data | 9.9 mi | 15.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 5 | Armstrong Lake | St. Louis | A | Limited data | 10.4 mi | 16.2 ft | 34 ft |
| 6 | Eagles Nest Lake | St. Louis | A | Low algae | 12 mi | 15.5 ft | 49 ft |
| 7 | Tofte Lake | Lake | A | Limited data | 14.3 mi | 18.5 ft | 73 ft |
| 8 | Snowbank Lake | Lake | A | Low algae | 21.4 mi | 15.1 ft | 150 ft |
| 9 | East Twin Lake | St. Louis | A | Low algae | 5.8 mi | 13.1 ft | 51 ft |
| 10 | Fenske Lake | St. Louis | A | Low algae | 6.5 mi | 11.5 ft | 43 ft |
| 11 | Ed Shave Lake | St. Louis | A | Low algae | 12.4 mi | 11.5 ft | 17 ft |
| 12 | Bear Head Lake | St. Louis | A | Low algae | 12.9 mi | 11 ft | 46 ft |
| 13 | Dunnigan Lake | Lake | A | Low algae | 17.5 mi | 11.4 ft | 14 ft |
| 14 | Meander Lake | St. Louis | A | Low algae | 20.6 mi | 13 ft | 25 ft |
| 15 | Shagawa Lake | St. Louis | B | Low algae | 0.9 mi | 8.9 ft | 48 ft |
| 16 | Low Lake | St. Louis | B | Low algae | 5.3 mi | 8.7 ft | 40 ft |
| 17 | Everett Lake | St. Louis | B | Low algae | 6 mi | 7 ft | 15 ft |
| 18 | Wolf Lake | St. Louis | B | Low algae | 7.3 mi | 9 ft | 28 ft |
| 19 | Clear Lake | St. Louis | B | Limited data | 9.6 mi | 11 ft | 24 ft |
| 20 | Bear Island Lake | St. Louis | B | Low algae | 10.2 mi | 7 ft | 62 ft |
| 21 | Big Lake | St. Louis | B | Low algae | 13.7 mi | 8.2 ft | 22 ft |
| 22 | Good Lake | Lake | B | Limited data | 13.8 mi | 10 ft | 51 ft |
| 23 | Moose Lake | Lake | B | Limited data | 18.6 mi | 13 ft | 65 ft |
| 24 | Campers Lake | Lake | B | Limited data | 21.1 mi | - | 2.5 ft |
| 25 | Dragon Lake | Lake | B | Low algae | 21.8 mi | 7.5 ft | 15 ft |
| 26 | Sucker Lake | Lake | B | Limited data | 22.6 mi | 12 ft | 111 ft |
| 27 | Stone Lake | St. Louis | B | Limited data | 27.9 mi | - | - |
| 28 | Garden Lake | Lake | B | Low algae | 6 mi | 5 ft | 55 ft |
| 29 | Farm Lake | Lake | B | Low algae | 6.5 mi | 5.5 ft | 56 ft |
| 30 | August Lake | Lake | B | Low algae | 15.5 mi | 4.7 ft | 19 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.