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LakeQuality

Best Lakes for Swimming Near Grand Rapids

Minnesota

30 swimming lakes within driving distance of Grand Rapids, 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.

Within reasonable driving distance of Grand Rapids sit 30 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is A.

The swimming-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the swimming use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.

#LakeCountyGradeDistanceClarityDepth
1Little Jay Gould LakeItascaA3.9 mi21.5 ft-
2Pokegama LakeItascaA4.2 mi17.5 ft-
3Pokegama LakeItascaA4.6 mi16 ft-
4Little Bass LakeItascaA4.7 mi17.7 ft-
5Long LakeItascaA5.9 mi16.9 ft-
6Trout LakeItascaA6 mi15.5 ft-
7Siseebakwet LakeItascaA8.9 mi19 ft-
8South Sugar LakeItascaA9.8 mi15 ft-
9O'Reilly LakeItascaA9.8 mi16 ft-
10Mcavity LakeItascaA10.1 mi17 ft-
11Leighton LakeItascaA10.9 mi21.7 ft-
12Dunning LakeItascaA11.3 mi18.5 ft-
13Little Wabana LakeItascaA11.5 mi23.8 ft-
14Bluewater LakeItascaA12.6 mi18.5 ft-
15Wabana LakeItascaA12.8 mi18 ft-
16Shallow LakeItascaA13.1 mi16.4 ft-
17Chase LakeItascaA13.3 mi21.7 ft-
18Little Trout LakeItascaA13.9 mi22 ft-
19Johnson LakeItascaA14.6 mi15.7 ft-
20Trout LakeItascaA15.7 mi18 ft-
21Little Long LakeItascaA16.1 mi16 ft-
22Ball Club LakeItascaA20.6 mi16 ft-
23Caribou LakeItascaA20.7 mi31 ft-
2411-0086-00 LakeCassA21.1 mi18.5 ft-
25Grave LakeCassA21.3 mi17.2 ft-
26North Star LakeItascaA22.9 mi19 ft-
27Big Ole LakeItascaA23.1 mi21.8 ft-
28Big Island LakeItascaA23.4 mi16.4 ft-
29Three Island LakeItascaA24.2 mi29 ft-
30Burns LakeItascaA26.8 mi16.1 ft-

Other activities near Grand Rapids

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.