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 favourable clarity and algae readings, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).
Milwaukee sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 measured lakes within reach. Lake Beulah carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the cluster.
The kayaking-specific ranking layered on top of the readings is what produces the list below: a lake with clean readings that does not also support the kayaking use case is less useful than a decent one that does.
| # | Lake | County | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Beulah | Walworth | 28.6 mi | 10 ft | 58 ft |
| 2 | Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend | Washington | 30.6 mi | 11.8 ft | 105 ft |
| 3 | Powers Lake | Kenosha | 39.4 mi | 10 ft | 33 ft |
| 4 | Denoon Lake | Waukesha | 18.9 mi | 9 ft | 55 ft |
| 5 | Pewaukee Lake | Waukesha | 19.5 mi | 7.5 ft | 45 ft |
| 6 | Bark Lake | Washington | 19.7 mi | 5.5 ft | 34 ft |
| 7 | Lake Five | Washington | 21.4 mi | 12 ft | 23 ft |
| 8 | Tichigan Lake | Racine | 21.8 mi | 5.5 ft | 63 ft |
| 9 | Lake Keesus | Waukesha | 22.7 mi | 9.2 ft | 42 ft |
| 10 | Friess Lake | Washington | 23.5 mi | 4 ft | 48 ft |
| 11 | Nagawicka Lake | Waukesha | 24.4 mi | 9.5 ft | 90 ft |
| 12 | Pine Lake | Waukesha | 24.8 mi | 25 ft | 85 ft |
| 13 | Spring Lake | Waukesha | 24.9 mi | - | 22 ft |
| 14 | North Lake | Waukesha | 25.3 mi | 8 ft | 78.4 ft |
| 15 | Lower Phantom Lake | Waukesha | 25.3 mi | 6.7 ft | 12 ft |
| 16 | Lower Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | 26.6 mi | 10.9 ft | 36 ft |
| 17 | Upper Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | 26.6 mi | 12 ft | 60 ft |
| 18 | Ocauchee Lake | Waukesha | 26.6 mi | 6.6 ft | 90 ft |
| 19 | Lower Nashotah Lake | Waukesha | 26.7 mi | 9 ft | 43 ft |
| 20 | Potter Lake | Walworth | 27 mi | 4.3 ft | 26 ft |
| 21 | Okauchee Lake Site | Waukesha | 27.1 mi | 4.6 ft | 90 ft |
| 22 | Crooked Lake | Waukesha | 27.7 mi | 8 ft | 16 ft |
| 23 | Hunters Lake | Waukesha | 28 mi | 9.5 ft | 36 ft |
| 24 | Oconomowoc Lake | Waukesha | 28.2 mi | 12.5 ft | 60 ft |
| 25 | Pike Lake | Washington | 28.6 mi | 7 ft | 45 ft |
| 26 | Army Lake | Walworth | 28.7 mi | 8.2 ft | 17 ft |
| 27 | Silver Lake | Waukesha | 29.5 mi | 10 ft | 40 ft |
| 28 | Browns Lake | Racine | 29.5 mi | 6.2 ft | 44 ft |
| 29 | Ashippun Lake | Waukesha | 29.6 mi | 10 ft | 35 ft |
| 30 | Eagle Spring Lake | Waukesha | 29.8 mi | 4.5 ft | 8 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.