Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Milwaukee
Wisconsin
30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Milwaukee, 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).
Milwaukee sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade A. Little Muskego Lake (A) leads the cluster.
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 | Little Muskego Lake | Waukesha | A | 14.8 mi | 15.5 ft | 65 ft |
| 2 | Amy Bell Lake | Washington | A | 18.8 mi | - | 37 ft |
| 3 | Pine Lake | Waukesha | A | 24.8 mi | 25 ft | 85 ft |
| 4 | Spring Lake | Waukesha | A | 24.9 mi | - | 22 ft |
| 5 | Big Cedar Lake | Washington | A | 30.8 mi | 16.4 ft | 105 ft |
| 6 | Paddock Lake | Kenosha | A | 33.7 mi | 15 ft | 32 ft |
| 7 | Lake Five | Washington | A | 21.4 mi | 12 ft | 23 ft |
| 8 | Lower Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | A | 26.6 mi | 10.9 ft | 36 ft |
| 9 | Upper Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | A | 26.6 mi | 12 ft | 60 ft |
| 10 | Okauchee Lake | Waukesha | A | 26.7 mi | 11.3 ft | 90 ft |
| 11 | Oconomowoc Lake Site | Waukesha | A | 27.3 mi | 13 ft | 60 ft |
| 12 | Okauchee Lake | Waukesha | A | 27.7 mi | 12 ft | 90 ft |
| 13 | Oconomowoc Lake | Waukesha | A | 28.2 mi | 13 ft | 60 ft |
| 14 | Lake Beulah | Walworth | A | 28.4 mi | 10 ft | 58 ft |
| 15 | Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend | Washington | A | 29.3 mi | 12.6 ft | 105 ft |
| 16 | Silver Lake | Waukesha | A | 29.5 mi | 10 ft | 40 ft |
| 17 | Ashippun Lake | Waukesha | A | 29.6 mi | 10 ft | 35 ft |
| 18 | Lake Beulah | Walworth | A | 29.7 mi | 11 ft | 58 ft |
| 19 | Fowler Lake | Waukesha | A | 30.1 mi | 14.5 ft | 50 ft |
| 20 | Pretty Lake | Waukesha | A | 30.4 mi | 12.2 ft | 31 ft |
| 21 | Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend | Washington | A | 30.6 mi | 11.8 ft | 105 ft |
| 22 | Golden Lake | Waukesha | A | 31.8 mi | 12.8 ft | 44 ft |
| 23 | Lilly Lake | Kenosha | A | 36.3 mi | 13.5 ft | 22 ft |
| 24 | Pleasant Lake | Walworth | A | 37 mi | 12 ft | 29 ft |
| 25 | Green Lake | Walworth | A | 38 mi | 11 ft | 57 ft |
| 26 | Middle Lake | Walworth | A | 38.2 mi | 10 ft | 40 ft |
| 27 | Rock Lake | Kenosha | A | 38.6 mi | 10 ft | 33 ft |
| 28 | Powers Lake | Kenosha | A | 39.3 mi | 10.2 ft | 33 ft |
| 29 | Powers Lake | Kenosha | A | 39.5 mi | 10 ft | 33 ft |
| 30 | Pewaukee Lake | Waukesha | B | 19.5 mi | 7.5 ft | 45 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.