Best Lakes Near Grand Rapids, MN, 50 Lakes Within 50 Miles

50 lakes within 50 miles of Grand Rapids have nutrient and algae readings on record. Little Jay Gould Lake in Itasca County leads the set on measured water quality, with about 21.5 ft of clarity. 43 of the 50 have a recorded public access point.

Grand Rapids sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 50 measured lakes within reach. Little Jay Gould Lake carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the cluster.

The lakes below are sorted on measured water quality. If you have a specific activity in mind, swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing, the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.

Lakes Within 50 mi

With Clarity Readings

With Fish Data

Public Access

Lake	Distance	County	Clarity	Depth	Fish
Little Jay Gould Lake	3.9 mi	Itasca	21.5 ft	56 ft	16
Jay Gould Lake	4.5 mi	Itasca	13 ft	33 ft	16
Pokegama Lake	4.6 mi	Itasca	16.1 ft	112 ft	19
Long Lake	5.9 mi	Itasca	16.9 ft	85 ft	12
Siseebakwet Lake	8.9 mi	Itasca	19 ft	105 ft	11
South Sugar Lake	9.8 mi	Itasca	14.4 ft	36 ft	8
Deer Lake	11.4 mi	Itasca	13.1 ft	121 ft	17
Bluewater Lake	12.6 mi	Itasca	18.5 ft	120 ft	15
Wabana Lake	12.8 mi	Itasca	18 ft	115 ft	14
Shallow Lake	13.1 mi	Itasca	16.4 ft	85 ft	12
Little Trout Lake	13.9 mi	Itasca	22 ft	80 ft	11
Johnson Lake	14.6 mi	Itasca	15.7 ft	88 ft	11
Trout Lake	15.7 mi	Itasca	18 ft	157 ft	9
Sugar Lake	16 mi	Cass	13.5 ft	44 ft	11
Swan Lake	16.6 mi	Itasca	13.5 ft	65 ft	17
Helen Lake	21 mi	Itasca	8 ft	33 ft	10
Dead Horse Lake	21.4 mi	Itasca	9.8 ft	30 ft	6
North Star Lake	22.9 mi	Itasca	19 ft	90 ft	13
Little Sand Lake	22.9 mi	Cass	7.5 ft	12 ft	10
Big Ole Lake	23.1 mi	Itasca	21.8 ft	65 ft	10
Island Lake	23.4 mi	St. Louis	14.5 ft	65 ft	8
Big Island Lake	23.4 mi	Itasca	16.4 ft	42 ft	6
Jack the Horse Lake	26.7 mi	Itasca	11.6 ft	45 ft	14
Burns Lake	26.8 mi	Itasca	16.1 ft	100 ft	10
Swift Lake	27.7 mi	Cass	8.5 ft	52 ft	13
Schoolhouse Lake	27.8 mi	Itasca	5.2 ft	-	0
Turtle Lake	28.6 mi	Itasca	17.1 ft	54 ft	0
Thunder Lake	28.8 mi	Cass	16.5 ft	95 ft	17
Six Mile Lake	28.9 mi	Cass	11.5 ft	68 ft	16
Maple Lake	29.4 mi	Itasca	15.3 ft	39 ft	13
Portage Lake	29.5 mi	Cass	7 ft	-	0
Upper Trelipe Lake	29.8 mi	Cass	14 ft	69 ft	15
Boy Lake	30.1 mi	Cass	10.5 ft	45 ft	20
Bello Lake	31.5 mi	Itasca	13.1 ft	58 ft	12
Island Lake	32.1 mi	Cass	15.5 ft	45 ft	12
Long Lake	32.3 mi	Itasca	16.7 ft	72 ft	10
Leavitt Lake	32.6 mi	Cass	7.9 ft	60 ft	15
Sand Lake	32.7 mi	Itasca	13.2 ft	60 ft	0
Sandwick Lake	32.7 mi	Itasca	11.6 ft	36 ft	9
Washburn Lake	33.3 mi	Cass	14.1 ft	111 ft	21
Rush Island Lake	33.4 mi	Itasca	10.8 ft	32 ft	14
Inguadona Lake	33.5 mi	Cass	12 ft	79 ft	20
Coon-Sandwick Lake	33.6 mi	Itasca	10.7 ft	36 ft	9
Long Lake	33.7 mi	Cass	21.5 ft	115 ft	14
Boy Bay Lake	34.2 mi	Cass	7.4 ft	-	0
Lawrence Lake	34.6 mi	Cass	9.8 ft	71 ft	16
Greeley Lake	34.8 mi	Itasca	9 ft	43 ft	1
Maple Lake	34.9 mi	Cass	13.3 ft	45 ft	0
Ames Lake	35.2 mi	Itasca	10 ft	51 ft	13
South Sturgeon Lake	35.4 mi	St. Louis	2.5 ft	43 ft	10

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Cleanest Lakes Near Grand Rapids

Little Jay Gould Lake

3.9 mi · Itasca County · 21.5 ft clarity

Jay Gould Lake

4.5 mi · Itasca County · 13 ft clarity

Pokegama Lake

4.6 mi · Itasca County · 16.1 ft clarity

Long Lake

5.9 mi · Itasca County · 16.9 ft clarity

Siseebakwet Lake

8.9 mi · Itasca County · 19 ft clarity

South Sugar Lake

9.8 mi · Itasca County · 14.4 ft clarity

Plan a lake trip in Minnesota

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes are near Grand Rapids?

There are 50 lakes with water-quality readings on record within 50 miles of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. 43 of them have a recorded public access point and 50 have a clarity reading.

What are the best lakes near Grand Rapids for fishing?

44 lakes near Grand Rapids have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine favourable water-quality readings with diverse fish populations. 43 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.

Where to stay near Grand Rapids

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.