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LakeQuality

Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Hayward

Wisconsin

22 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Hayward, Wisconsin, 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).

Within reasonable driving distance of Hayward sit 22 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is B.

Filtered for kayaking, the nearby-lake list narrows further. kayaking-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.

#LakeCountyGradeDistanceClarityDepth
1Lower Eau Claire LakeBayfieldA18.2 mi18.5 ft-
2Trego LakeWashburnA19.8 mi--
3Middle Eau Claire LakeBayfieldA20.2 mi17.3 ft-
4Upper Eau Claire LakeBayfieldA20.5 mi18.7 ft-
5Tiger Cat Flowage LakeSawyerA11.6 mi10.8 ft-
6Lower Eau Claire LakeBayfieldA18.8 mi14.1 ft-
7Sand LakeSawyerB11.3 mi9.9 ft-
8Callahan LakeSawyerB11.7 mi10.6 ft-
9Yellow River Flowage LakeWashburnB23.8 mi10 ft-
10Saint Croix Flowage LakeDouglasB26.2 mi10.5 ft-
11Loon LakeBurnettB33.1 mi8.5 ft-
12Inch LakeBayfieldB34.2 mi14.1 ft-
13Bear LakeBarronB31 mi6.2 ft-
14Nelson LakeSawyerC5.7 mi5 ft-
15Spooner LakeWashburnC20.2 mi6.5 ft-
16Birch LakeWashburnC23.8 mi5.5 ft-
17Murphy Flowage LakeRuskC30.3 mi--
18Webb LakeBurnettC31.3 mi8 ft-
19Flynn LakeBayfieldC33.7 mi9 ft-
20Moose LakeSawyerC19.9 mi2 ft-
21Minong Flowage LakeWashburnC23.2 mi3.5 ft-
22Rice LakeBarronC36.9 mi4.1 ft-

Other activities near Hayward

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.