Safest Lakes to Swim Near Grand Rapids
Minnesota
30 lakes within driving distance of Grand Rapids, 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.
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.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Swim Safety | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Little Jay Gould Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 3.9 mi | 21.5 ft | 56 ft |
| 2 | Pokegama Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 4.2 mi | 17.5 ft | 112 ft |
| 3 | Pokegama Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 4.6 mi | 16.1 ft | 112 ft |
| 4 | Little Bass Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 4.7 mi | 17.7 ft | 62 ft |
| 5 | Long Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 5.9 mi | 16.9 ft | 85 ft |
| 6 | Trout Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 6 mi | 16 ft | 135 ft |
| 7 | Rice Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 6.7 mi | 15 ft | 68 ft |
| 8 | Siseebakwet Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 8.9 mi | 19 ft | 105 ft |
| 9 | O'Reilly Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 9.8 mi | 16 ft | 79 ft |
| 10 | Mcavity Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 10.1 mi | 17.3 ft | 29 ft |
| 11 | Leighton Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 10.9 mi | 21.7 ft | 63 ft |
| 12 | Little Wabana Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 11.5 mi | 24 ft | 57 ft |
| 13 | Bluewater Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 12.6 mi | 18.5 ft | 120 ft |
| 14 | Wabana Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 12.8 mi | 18 ft | 115 ft |
| 15 | Shallow Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 13.1 mi | 16.4 ft | 85 ft |
| 16 | Little Trout Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 13.9 mi | 22 ft | 80 ft |
| 17 | Johnson Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 14.6 mi | 15.7 ft | 88 ft |
| 18 | Little Long Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 16.1 mi | 17 ft | 61 ft |
| 19 | Ball Club Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 20.6 mi | 16 ft | 85 ft |
| 20 | Caribou Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 20.7 mi | 31 ft | 152 ft |
| 21 | Grave Lake | Cass | A | Limited data | 21.3 mi | 17.2 ft | 55 ft |
| 22 | North Star Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 22.9 mi | 19 ft | 90 ft |
| 23 | Big Ole Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 23.1 mi | 21.8 ft | 65 ft |
| 24 | Big Island Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 23.4 mi | 16.4 ft | 42 ft |
| 25 | Three Island Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 24.2 mi | 29 ft | 66 ft |
| 26 | Clubhouse Lake | Itasca | A | Limited data | 25.5 mi | 18 ft | 103 ft |
| 27 | Burns Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 26.8 mi | 16.1 ft | 100 ft |
| 28 | Thunder Lake | Cass | A | Limited data | 28.5 mi | 20 ft | 95 ft |
| 29 | Turtle Lake | Itasca | A | Low algae | 28.6 mi | 17.1 ft | 54 ft |
| 30 | Thunder Lake | Cass | A | Low algae | 28.8 mi | 16.5 ft | 95 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.