Best Lakes for Kayaking Near La Crosse
Wisconsin
1 kayaking lakes within driving distance of La Crosse, Wisconsin, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for grade A, B, or C water quality, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).
La Crosse is not lake-dense — only 1 graded lakes are within easy reach. The cleanest of those is Sidie Hollow Lake (B).
The kayaking-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the kayaking use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidie Hollow Lake | Vernon | B | 23 mi | 12 ft | 22 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.