Best Lakes for Boating Near Mankato
Minnesota
30 boating lakes within driving distance of Mankato, Minnesota, 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.
Mankato sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade D. Piersons Lake (A) leads the cluster.
The boating-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 boating use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piersons Lake | Carver | A | 48.7 mi | 9.9 ft | 40 ft |
| 2 | Lower Prior Lake | Scott | B | 48.7 mi | 10 ft | 60 ft |
| 3 | Marion Lake | Dakota | B | 49.5 mi | 7 ft | 21 ft |
| 4 | O'Dowd Lake | Scott | C | 46.7 mi | 5.5 ft | 22 ft |
| 5 | Frances Lake | Le Sueur | C | 15.3 mi | 6 ft | 60 ft |
| 6 | Waconia Lake | Carver | C | 50 mi | 7.3 ft | 37 ft |
| 7 | Volney Lake | Le Sueur | C | 22.7 mi | 5.5 ft | 67 ft |
| 8 | Upper Prior Lake | Scott | C | 46.7 mi | 5 ft | 50 ft |
| 9 | Bavaria Lake | Carver | C | 49.9 mi | 5.1 ft | 66 ft |
| 10 | Madison Lake | Blue Earth | D | 9.5 mi | 4 ft | 59 ft |
| 11 | Lake Jefferson | Le Sueur | D | 14.2 mi | 4 ft | 37 ft |
| 12 | German Lake | Le Sueur | D | 15.5 mi | 3.5 ft | 51 ft |
| 13 | Rays Lake | Le Sueur | D | 16.5 mi | 3.5 ft | 32 ft |
| 14 | Reeds Lake | Waseca | D | 19.2 mi | 6 ft | 58 ft |
| 15 | Fedji Lake | Watonwan | D | 20.1 mi | 3.3 ft | 6 ft |
| 16 | St. James Lake | Watonwan | D | 34.4 mi | 3 ft | 15.4 ft |
| 17 | Long Lake | Watonwan | D | 37.3 mi | 2.5 ft | 13 ft |
| 18 | Sleepy Eye Lake | Brown | D | 37.5 mi | 3.3 ft | 21 ft |
| 19 | Fish Lake | Scott | D | 43 mi | 3.9 ft | 28 ft |
| 20 | Spring Lake | Scott | D | 45.4 mi | 6.2 ft | 37 ft |
| 21 | Marion Lake | McLeod | D | 47 mi | - | 15.2 ft |
| 22 | Ballantyne Lake | Blue Earth | D | 8.8 mi | 2.5 ft | 58 ft |
| 23 | Washington Lake | Le Sueur | D | 8.9 mi | 4.5 ft | 51 ft |
| 24 | Emily Lake | Le Sueur | D | 10.9 mi | 2 ft | 37 ft |
| 25 | Jefferson Lake | Le Sueur | D | 12.5 mi | 2 ft | - |
| 26 | Scotch Lake | Le Sueur | D | 14.6 mi | 4.1 ft | 11 ft |
| 27 | Gorman Lake | Le Sueur | D | 20.6 mi | 3.7 ft | 14 ft |
| 28 | Cedar Lake | Rice | D | 29.9 mi | 2 ft | 42 ft |
| 29 | Cannon Lake | Rice | D | 32.7 mi | 4.1 ft | 15 ft |
| 30 | Fox Lake | Rice | D | 36.8 mi | 3 ft | 47 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.