Best Lakes for Boating Near Kansas City
Missouri
28 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.
Within reasonable driving distance of Kansas City sit 28 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals, fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion, interact with the water-quality readings in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weatherby Lake | Platte | 11.1 mi | 6.2 ft | - |
| 2 | Douglas Co State Fishing Lake | Douglas | 37.2 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
| 3 | Jacomo Lake | Jackson | 16.2 mi | 3.3 ft | - |
| 4 | New Olathe Lake | Johnson | 21.9 mi | 3.4 ft | - |
| 5 | Watkins Mill Lake | Clay | 26.4 mi | 3.2 ft | - |
| 6 | Leavenworth Co State Fishing Lake | Leavenworth | 30.8 mi | 4.3 ft | - |
| 7 | Hillsdale Lake | Miami | 35.2 mi | 3.7 ft | - |
| 8 | Clinton Lake | Douglas | 42.6 mi | 3.8 ft | - |
| 9 | Quivira Lake | Wyandotte | 11 mi | 3 ft | - |
| 10 | Smithville Lake by Dam | Clay | 20.6 mi | 3.3 ft | - |
| 11 | Lone Star Lake | Douglas | 46.6 mi | 3.1 ft | - |
| 12 | Higginsville South Lake | Lafayette | 48.8 mi | 1.7 ft | - |
| 13 | Pony Express Lake | DeKalb | 49.8 mi | 1.3 ft | - |
| 14 | Raintree Lake | Cass | 21.1 mi | 2.5 ft | - |
| 15 | Gardner Lake | Johnson | 25.6 mi | 2.3 ft | - |
| 16 | Perry Lake | Jefferson | 46.3 mi | 3.1 ft | - |
| 17 | Miami Co State Fishing Lake | Miami | 48.4 mi | 2 ft | - |
| 18 | Riss Lake | Platte | 8.9 mi | - | - |
| 19 | Wyandotte County Lake | Wyandotte | 11.5 mi | 10.2 ft | - |
| 20 | Lakewood Lake East | Jackson | 13.1 mi | - | - |
| 21 | Shawnee Mission Lake | Johnson | 14.8 mi | 4.3 ft | - |
| 22 | Lake Winnebago | Cass | 22.1 mi | - | - |
| 23 | Harrisonville Lake | Cass | 26.7 mi | 1.1 ft | - |
| 24 | Bean Lake | Platte | 35.5 mi | - | - |
| 25 | Miola Lake | Miami | 38.3 mi | 5.2 ft | - |
| 26 | Lewis and Clark Lake | Buchanan | 39.8 mi | - | - |
| 27 | Lake Contrary | Buchanan | 46.1 mi | - | - |
| 28 | Browning Lake | Doniphan | 49.5 mi | - | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.