What is the best kayaking lake near Grand Rapids?

Little Jay Gould Lake in Itasca County is the top-ranked kayaking lake near Grand Rapids on measured water quality (3.9 miles away).

How many lakes are near Grand Rapids for kayaking?

30 lakes within driving distance of Grand Rapids match the kayaking filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Grand Rapids, MN

30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for favourable clarity and algae readings, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).

Grand Rapids sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 measured lakes within reach. Little Jay Gould Lake carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of 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 water-quality readings in different ways depending on the use case.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	Little Jay Gould Lake	Itasca	3.9 mi	21.5 ft	56 ft
2	Jay Gould Lake	Itasca	4.5 mi	13 ft	33 ft
3	Long Lake	Itasca	5.9 mi	16.9 ft	85 ft
4	Siseebakwet Lake	Itasca	8.9 mi	19 ft	105 ft
5	Bluewater Lake	Itasca	12.6 mi	18.5 ft	120 ft
6	Wabana Lake	Itasca	12.8 mi	18 ft	115 ft
7	Shallow Lake	Itasca	13.1 mi	16.4 ft	85 ft
8	Little Trout Lake	Itasca	13.9 mi	22 ft	80 ft
9	Johnson Lake	Itasca	14.6 mi	15.7 ft	88 ft
10	Sugar Lake	Cass	16 mi	13.5 ft	44 ft
11	Swan Lake	Itasca	16.6 mi	13.5 ft	65 ft
12	Helen Lake	Itasca	21 mi	8 ft	33 ft
13	Dead Horse Lake	Itasca	21.4 mi	9.8 ft	30 ft
14	North Star Lake	Itasca	22.9 mi	19 ft	90 ft
15	Little Sand Lake	Cass	22.9 mi	7.5 ft	12 ft
16	Big Ole Lake	Itasca	23.1 mi	21.8 ft	65 ft
17	Island Lake	St. Louis	23.4 mi	14.5 ft	65 ft
18	Big Island Lake	Itasca	23.4 mi	16.4 ft	42 ft
19	Burns Lake	Itasca	26.8 mi	16.1 ft	100 ft
20	Turtle Lake	Itasca	28.6 mi	17.1 ft	54 ft
21	Thunder Lake	Cass	28.8 mi	16.5 ft	95 ft
22	Six Mile Lake	Cass	28.9 mi	11.5 ft	68 ft
23	Maple Lake	Itasca	29.4 mi	15.3 ft	39 ft
24	Upper Trelipe Lake	Cass	29.8 mi	14 ft	69 ft
25	Bello Lake	Itasca	31.5 mi	13.1 ft	58 ft
26	Island Lake	Cass	32.1 mi	15.5 ft	45 ft
27	Long Lake	Itasca	32.3 mi	16.7 ft	72 ft
28	Leavitt Lake	Cass	32.6 mi	7.9 ft	60 ft
29	Sand Lake	Itasca	32.7 mi	13.2 ft	60 ft
30	Sandwick Lake	Itasca	32.7 mi	11.6 ft	36 ft

Other activities near Grand Rapids

Swimming near Grand Rapids →Fishing near Grand Rapids →Boating near Grand Rapids →All lakes near Grand Rapids →

Where to stay near Grand Rapids

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Grand Rapids — book a place close to the best-rated lakes in the area.

Top-rated places to stay near Grand Rapids

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.