Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Madison
Wisconsin
12 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Madison, 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).
A moderate cluster of 12 graded lakes lies within reach of Madison, averaging a grade of B. Rock River Lake (A) is the cleanest of the set.
Filtered for kayaking, the nearby-lake list narrows further. kayaking-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 | Rock River Lake | Rock | A | 32.4 mi | 21 ft | - |
| 2 | Buckhorn Lake | Sauk | A | 38.2 mi | - | - |
| 3 | Rock Lake | Jefferson | A | 23.7 mi | 12 ft | 60 ft |
| 4 | Lake Ripley | Jefferson | B | 21.2 mi | 9 ft | 44 ft |
| 5 | Silver Lake West Basin | Columbia | B | 33.3 mi | 8.8 ft | 42 ft |
| 6 | Silver Lake | Columbia | B | 33.5 mi | 10 ft | 42 ft |
| 7 | Hope Lake | Jefferson | C | 21.4 mi | 8 ft | 24 ft |
| 8 | Red Cedar Lake | Jefferson | C | 21.9 mi | 4.3 ft | 6 ft |
| 9 | Devils Lake | Sauk | C | 28.9 mi | 7.3 ft | 47 ft |
| 10 | White Mound Lake | Sauk | C | 39.9 mi | 5.5 ft | 16 ft |
| 11 | Lake Wingra | Dane | C | 1.8 mi | 4 ft | 14 ft |
| 12 | Bakkens Pond | Sauk | C | 37.9 mi | 2.5 ft | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.