Best Lakes for Swimming Near Milwaukee
Wisconsin
30 swimming lakes within driving distance of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ranked by water quality and swimming-specific filters. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Within reasonable driving distance of Milwaukee sit 30 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is A.
Filtered for swimming, the nearby-lake list narrows further. swimming-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 | Csmi 2015 Station Q Lake | Milwaukee | A | 14.3 mi | - | - |
| 2 | Little Muskego Lake | Waukesha | A | 14.8 mi | 15.5 ft | - |
| 3 | Amy Bell Lake | Washington | A | 18.8 mi | - | - |
| 4 | Moldenhauer Lake | Ozaukee | A | 21.1 mi | - | - |
| 5 | Pine Lake | Waukesha | A | 24.8 mi | 25 ft | - |
| 6 | Spring Lake | Waukesha | A | 24.9 mi | - | - |
| 7 | Moose Lake | Waukesha | A | 25.8 mi | 16 ft | - |
| 8 | Unnamed Lake | Ozaukee | A | 26.3 mi | - | - |
| 9 | Okauchee Lake-Site No. 3-at Okauchee | Waukesha | A | 26.6 mi | - | - |
| 10 | Okauchee Lake-Site No. 4-at Okauchee | Waukesha | A | 27.6 mi | - | - |
| 11 | Lake Five | Washington | A | 21.4 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 12 | Lower Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | A | 26.6 mi | 10.9 ft | - |
| 13 | Upper Nemahbin Lake | Waukesha | A | 26.6 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 14 | Okauchee Lake | Waukesha | A | 26.7 mi | 11.3 ft | - |
| 15 | Oconomowoc Lake 2 | Waukesha | A | 27.3 mi | 14.2 ft | - |
| 16 | Oconomowoc Lake Site | Waukesha | A | 27.3 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 17 | Okauchee Lake | Waukesha | A | 27.7 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 18 | Oconomowoc Lake No. 1 | Waukesha | A | 28.2 mi | 13.8 ft | - |
| 19 | Oconomowoc Lake | Waukesha | A | 28.2 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 20 | Lake Beulah | Walworth | A | 28.4 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 21 | Lake Beulah Station 2 | Walworth | A | 28.5 mi | 10.8 ft | - |
| 22 | Little Cedar Lake | Washington | A | 28.5 mi | 10.5 ft | - |
| 23 | Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend | Washington | A | 29.3 mi | 12.6 ft | - |
| 24 | Silver Lake | Waukesha | A | 29.5 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 25 | Ashippun Lake | Waukesha | A | 29.6 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 26 | Lake Beulah | Walworth | A | 29.7 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 27 | Ottawa Lake | Waukesha | A | 29.9 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 28 | Pewaukee Lake | Waukesha | B | 19.5 mi | 7.5 ft | - |
| 29 | Lake Keesus | Waukesha | B | 22.7 mi | 9.2 ft | - |
| 30 | Nagawicka Lake | Waukesha | B | 24.4 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
Other activities near Milwaukee
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.