Best Lakes for Boating Near La Crosse
Wisconsin
24 boating lakes within driving distance of La Crosse, Wisconsin, 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.
La Crosse sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 24 measured lakes within reach. Lake Tomah carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the cluster.
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 | Lake Tomah | Monroe | 37.8 mi | - | 19 ft |
| 2 | Winona Lake | Winona | 26 mi | 2.6 ft | 38 ft |
| 3 | Blue Lake | Houston | 2.8 mi | - | - |
| 4 | Lake Onalaska | La Crosse | 9.1 mi | - | - |
| 5 | Neshonoc Lake | La Crosse | 11.3 mi | 0.4 ft | - |
| 6 | Neshonoc Lake | La Crosse | 11.8 mi | - | - |
| 7 | Van Loon Lake | La Crosse | 16.7 mi | - | - |
| 8 | Hayshore Lake | Houston | 18.3 mi | - | - |
| 9 | Mud Lake | Houston | 19 mi | - | - |
| 10 | Goose Lake | Houston | 19.7 mi | - | - |
| 11 | Marinuka Lake | Trempealeau | 20.6 mi | - | - |
| 12 | Duck Lake | Allamakee | 22.2 mi | - | - |
| 13 | Big Lake | Allamakee | 27.6 mi | - | - |
| 14 | Indian Channel | Winona | 28.2 mi | - | - |
| 15 | Rileys Lake | Winona | 30 mi | - | - |
| 16 | Lake Winneshiek | Crawford | 32.9 mi | - | - |
| 17 | North Flowage | Monroe | 36.5 mi | - | - |
| 18 | Wazee Lake | Jackson | 42.4 mi | 30 ft | 350 ft |
| 19 | Mud Hen Lake | Allamakee | 44.6 mi | - | - |
| 20 | West Newton Chute | Wabasha | 46.6 mi | - | - |
| 21 | Monroe County Flowage | Monroe | 47 mi | - | - |
| 22 | Marais Lake | Crawford | 48.6 mi | - | - |
| 23 | Third Finger Lake | Wabasha | 49.6 mi | - | - |
| 24 | Potter Flowage | Jackson | 49.8 mi | - | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.