Best Lakes for Swimming Near Hayward
Wisconsin
30 swimming lakes within driving distance of Hayward, Wisconsin, 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 Hayward 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.
Filtered for swimming, the nearby-lake list narrows further. swimming-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grindstone Lake | Sawyer | A | 6.6 mi | 17.4 ft | - |
| 2 | Round Lake | Sawyer | A | 7.9 mi | 21.1 ft | - |
| 3 | Little Round Lake | Sawyer | A | 8.2 mi | 17.3 ft | - |
| 4 | Osprey Lake | Sawyer | A | 9.3 mi | 16 ft | - |
| 5 | Lake Placid | Sawyer | A | 9.8 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 6 | Billy Boy Flowage Lake | Sawyer | A | 10.4 mi | - | - |
| 7 | Clear Lake | Sawyer | A | 10.6 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 8 | Spring Lake | Washburn | A | 11.4 mi | - | - |
| 9 | Stone Lake | Washburn | A | 12.5 mi | 23 ft | - |
| 10 | Slim Lake | Washburn | A | 15.3 mi | 15.7 ft | - |
| 11 | Cable Lake | Bayfield | A | 16.9 mi | 15.5 ft | - |
| 12 | Lower Eau Claire Lake | Bayfield | A | 18.2 mi | 18.5 ft | - |
| 13 | Trego Lake | Washburn | A | 19.8 mi | - | - |
| 14 | Middle Eau Claire Lake | Bayfield | A | 20.2 mi | 17.3 ft | - |
| 15 | Big Bass Lake | Washburn | A | 20.4 mi | - | - |
| 16 | Big Bass Lake | Washburn | A | 20.5 mi | 17.9 ft | - |
| 17 | Upper Eau Claire Lake | Bayfield | A | 20.5 mi | 18.7 ft | - |
| 18 | Bony Lake | Bayfield | A | 20.9 mi | 19.8 ft | - |
| 19 | Leader Lake | Douglas | A | 21.9 mi | 15.3 ft | - |
| 20 | Lake Owen | Bayfield | A | 22 mi | 24.6 ft | - |
| 21 | Bond Lake | Douglas | A | 22.1 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 22 | Bardon Lake | Douglas | A | 22.7 mi | 27 ft | - |
| 23 | Whitefish Lake | Douglas | A | 22.9 mi | 25.3 ft | - |
| 24 | Crystal Lake | Bayfield | A | 23.1 mi | 16.2 ft | - |
| 25 | Whitefish Lake | Douglas | A | 23.4 mi | 24.5 ft | - |
| 26 | Middle Kimball Lake | Washburn | A | 23.8 mi | 16 ft | - |
| 27 | Loon Lake | Washburn | A | 24 mi | - | - |
| 28 | Namekagon Lake | Bayfield | A | 24.4 mi | - | - |
| 29 | Sand Bar Lake | Bayfield | A | 24.7 mi | 19 ft | - |
| 30 | Bass Lake | Washburn | A | 25.6 mi | 16 ft | - |
Other activities near Hayward
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.