Best Lakes for Boating Near Milwaukee
Wisconsin
30 boating lakes within driving distance of Milwaukee, 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.
Milwaukee sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. Lake Beulah (A) leads 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 letter grade in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Beulah | Walworth | A | 28.6 mi | 10 ft | 58 ft |
| 2 | Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend | Washington | A | 30.6 mi | 11.8 ft | 105 ft |
| 3 | Powers Lake | Kenosha | A | 39.4 mi | 10 ft | 33 ft |
| 4 | Geneva Lake | Walworth | A | 45 mi | 21 ft | 135 ft |
| 5 | Denoon Lake | Waukesha | B | 18.9 mi | 9 ft | 55 ft |
| 6 | Pewaukee Lake | Waukesha | B | 19.5 mi | 7.5 ft | 45 ft |
| 7 | Lake Five | Washington | B | 21.4 mi | 12 ft | 23 ft |
| 8 | Tichigan Lake | Racine | B | 21.8 mi | 5.5 ft | 63 ft |
| 9 | Lake Keesus | Waukesha | B | 22.7 mi | 9.2 ft | 42 ft |
| 10 | Friess Lake | Washington | B | 23.5 mi | 4 ft | 48 ft |
| 11 | Nagawicka Lake | Waukesha | B | 24.4 mi | 9.5 ft | 90 ft |
| 12 | Pine Lake | Waukesha | B | 24.8 mi | 25 ft | 85 ft |
| 13 | Spring Lake | Waukesha | B | 24.9 mi | - | 22 ft |
| 14 | North Lake | Waukesha | B | 25.3 mi | 8 ft | 78.4 ft |
| 15 | Lower Phantom Lake | Waukesha | B | 25.3 mi | 6.7 ft | 12 ft |
| 16 | Lower Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | B | 26.6 mi | 10.9 ft | 36 ft |
| 17 | Upper Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | B | 26.6 mi | 12 ft | 60 ft |
| 18 | Ocauchee Lake | Waukesha | B | 26.6 mi | 6.6 ft | 90 ft |
| 19 | Potter Lake | Walworth | B | 27 mi | 4.3 ft | 26 ft |
| 20 | Okauchee Lake Site | Waukesha | B | 27.1 mi | 4.6 ft | 90 ft |
| 21 | Oconomowoc Lake | Waukesha | B | 28.2 mi | 12.5 ft | 60 ft |
| 22 | Pike Lake | Washington | B | 28.6 mi | 7 ft | 45 ft |
| 23 | Silver Lake | Waukesha | B | 29.5 mi | 10 ft | 40 ft |
| 24 | Browns Lake | Racine | B | 29.5 mi | 6.2 ft | 44 ft |
| 25 | Eagle Spring Lake | Waukesha | B | 29.8 mi | 4.5 ft | 8 ft |
| 26 | Druid Lake | Washington | B | 30.2 mi | 5.5 ft | 53 ft |
| 27 | School Section Lake | Waukesha | B | 30.4 mi | 6.2 ft | 8 ft |
| 28 | Booth Lake | Walworth | B | 31.2 mi | 8 ft | 24 ft |
| 29 | Lac la Belle Lake | Waukesha | B | 31.4 mi | 4.8 ft | 45 ft |
| 30 | Golden Lake | Waukesha | B | 31.8 mi | 12.8 ft | 44 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.