Best Lakes for Boating Near Madison
Wisconsin
30 boating lakes within driving distance of Madison, 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.
Within reasonable driving distance of Madison sit 30 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is B.
The boating-specific ranking layered on top of the letter grade is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the boating use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Wingra | Dane | B | 1.8 mi | 4 ft | 14 ft |
| 2 | Lake Waubesa | Dane | B | 6 mi | 3.2 ft | 38 ft |
| 3 | Lake Ripley | Jefferson | B | 21.2 mi | 9 ft | 44 ft |
| 4 | Red Cedar Lake | Jefferson | B | 21.9 mi | 4 ft | 6 ft |
| 5 | Rock Lake | Jefferson | B | 23.7 mi | 12 ft | 60 ft |
| 6 | Whitewater Lake | Walworth | B | 41.6 mi | 4 ft | 35 ft |
| 7 | Blue Spring Lake | Jefferson | B | 43.2 mi | 6.2 ft | 27 ft |
| 8 | Turtle Lake | Walworth | B | 43.6 mi | 11 ft | 30 ft |
| 9 | Golden Lake | Waukesha | B | 43.8 mi | 12.8 ft | 44 ft |
| 10 | Black Hawk Lake | Iowa | B | 44.6 mi | 5 ft | 42 ft |
| 11 | Lac la Belle Lake | Waukesha | B | 44.8 mi | 4.8 ft | 45 ft |
| 12 | School Section Lake | Waukesha | B | 45.8 mi | 6.2 ft | 8 ft |
| 13 | Silver Lake | Waukesha | B | 46.1 mi | 10 ft | 40 ft |
| 14 | Green Lake | Walworth | B | 46.7 mi | 11 ft | 57 ft |
| 15 | Middle Lake | Walworth | B | 47.1 mi | 10 ft | 40 ft |
| 16 | Pleasant Lake | Walworth | B | 47.2 mi | 12 ft | 29 ft |
| 17 | Mill Lake | Walworth | B | 47.3 mi | 7.5 ft | 40 ft |
| 18 | Oconomowoc Lake | Waukesha | B | 47.5 mi | 12.5 ft | 60 ft |
| 19 | Jordan Lake | Adams | B | 47.9 mi | 13 ft | 92 ft |
| 20 | Lower Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | B | 48.9 mi | 10.9 ft | 36 ft |
| 21 | Upper Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | B | 49 mi | 12 ft | 60 ft |
| 22 | Okauchee Lake Site | Waukesha | B | 49.1 mi | 4.6 ft | 90 ft |
| 23 | Ocauchee Lake | Waukesha | B | 49.4 mi | 6.6 ft | 90 ft |
| 24 | Lake Lorraine | Walworth | C | 41.1 mi | - | 8 ft |
| 25 | Lake Emily | Dodge | C | 44 mi | 3.5 ft | 10 ft |
| 26 | Lake Mendota | Dane | D | 2 mi | 5 ft | 83 ft |
| 27 | Lake Kegonsa | Dane | D | 10.9 mi | 3.7 ft | 32 ft |
| 28 | Rice Lake | Dane | D | 22.3 mi | 1.5 ft | 8 ft |
| 29 | Lake | Columbia | D | 22.4 mi | 2.5 ft | 24 ft |
| 30 | Lake Koshkonong | Jefferson | D | 26.3 mi | 1.7 ft | 7 ft |
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Where to stay near Madison
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.