Best Lakes for Boating Near Kansas City
Missouri
11 boating lakes within driving distance of Kansas City, Missouri, 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 11 graded lakes lies within reach of Kansas City, averaging a grade of C. Weatherby Lake (A) is the cleanest of the set.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-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 | Weatherby Lake | Platte | A | 11.1 mi | 6.2 ft | - |
| 2 | Jacomo Lake | Jackson | B | 16.2 mi | 3.3 ft | - |
| 3 | Longview Lake by Dam | Jackson | C | 13.8 mi | 3.3 ft | - |
| 4 | Watkins Mill Lake | Clay | C | 26.4 mi | 3.2 ft | - |
| 5 | Smithville Lake by Dam | Clay | D | 20.6 mi | 3.3 ft | - |
| 6 | Smithville Lake | Clay | D | 21.2 mi | 2.6 ft | - |
| 7 | Smithville Lake | Clay | D | 24.2 mi | 2 ft | - |
| 8 | Higginsville South Lake | Lafayette | D | 48.8 mi | 1.7 ft | - |
| 9 | Pony Express Lake | DeKalb | D | 49.8 mi | 1.3 ft | - |
| 10 | Raintree Lake | Cass | F | 21.1 mi | 2.5 ft | - |
| 11 | Harrisonville Lake | Cass | NR | 26.7 mi | 1.1 ft | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.