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, with a water quality grade of A (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 grade A, B, or C water quality, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).

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

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Top-rated places to stay near Grand Rapids

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.