Best Lakes for Boating Near Indianapolis
Indiana
10 boating lakes within driving distance of Indianapolis, Indiana, ranked by water quality and boating-specific filters. Filtered for at least 100 acres and public access. The largest lakes with boat-worthy water are listed first.
A moderate cluster of 10 measured lakes lies within reach of Indianapolis. Cordry Lake has the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the set.
The boating-specific ranking layered on top of the readings is what produces the list below: a lake with clean readings that does not also support the boating use case is less useful than a decent one that does.
| # | Lake | County | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cordry Lake | Brown | 31.8 mi | - | - |
| 2 | Yellowwood Lake | Brown | 41.5 mi | - | - |
| 3 | Cagles Mill Lake | Owen | 44.3 mi | - | - |
| 4 | Eagle Creek Reservoir | Marion | 10.5 mi | - | - |
| 5 | Geist Reservoir | Marion | 14.2 mi | - | - |
| 6 | Geist Reservoir | Hamilton | 18.2 mi | - | - |
| 7 | Morse Reservoir | Hamilton | 24.3 mi | - | - |
| 8 | Heritage Lake | Putnam | 29.8 mi | - | - |
| 9 | Lake Lemon | Monroe | 37.4 mi | 2.1 ft | - |
| 10 | Grandview Lake | Bartholomew | 43 mi | - | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.