Best Lakes for Boating Near Minneapolis
Minnesota
30 boating lakes within driving distance of Minneapolis, 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.
Minneapolis sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 measured lakes within reach. Snail Lake carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the cluster.
The boating-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 boating use case is less useful than a decent one that does.
| # | Lake | County | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snail Lake | Ramsey | 9.5 mi | 11 ft | 30 ft |
| 2 | Rogers Lake | Dakota | 9.6 mi | 6.6 ft | 8 ft |
| 3 | Turtle Lake | Ramsey | 10.3 mi | 7.5 ft | 28 ft |
| 4 | Bush Lake | Hennepin | 11.3 mi | 13 ft | 28 ft |
| 5 | Otter Lake | Ramsey | 14.8 mi | 11.5 ft | 21 ft |
| 6 | White Bear Lake | Washington | 15.3 mi | 14.4 ft | 83 ft |
| 7 | Riley Lake | Hennepin | 15.8 mi | 11.5 ft | 49 ft |
| 8 | Jane Lake | Washington | 16.8 mi | 13 ft | 39 ft |
| 9 | Minnewashta Lake | Carver | 17.9 mi | 11.5 ft | 70 ft |
| 10 | Elmo Lake | Washington | 18.6 mi | 11.1 ft | 140 ft |
| 11 | Marion Lake | Dakota | 22 mi | 7 ft | 21 ft |
| 12 | Piersons Lake | Carver | 23.5 mi | 9.9 ft | 40 ft |
| 13 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | 24.7 mi | 14.5 ft | 66 ft |
| 14 | Square Lake | Washington | 25.6 mi | 17 ft | 68 ft |
| 15 | Charlotte Lake | Wright | 26.3 mi | 17.1 ft | 46 ft |
| 16 | Spider Lake | Chisago | 32 mi | 6.5 ft | 9 ft |
| 17 | Kroon Lake | Chisago | 33.2 mi | 5.9 ft | 30 ft |
| 18 | Big Lake | Sherburne | 34.6 mi | 13.6 ft | 48 ft |
| 19 | South Lindstrom Lake | Chisago | 34.8 mi | 5.6 ft | 34 ft |
| 20 | Ann Lake | Sherburne | 37.2 mi | 11.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 21 | Upper Maple Lake | Wright | 38.3 mi | 17.2 ft | 76 ft |
| 22 | Ida Lake | Wright | 38.5 mi | 13.1 ft | 60 ft |
| 23 | Spectacle Lake | Isanti | 41.8 mi | 13.8 ft | 51.5 ft |
| 24 | Fish Lake | Chisago | 43.1 mi | 9.4 ft | 57 ft |
| 25 | Cedar Lake | Wright | 44.1 mi | 14.3 ft | 108 ft |
| 26 | Sugar Lake | Wright | 44.3 mi | 16.5 ft | 69 ft |
| 27 | Pleasant Lake | Wright | 46.5 mi | 11.5 ft | 74 ft |
| 28 | Bass Lake | Wright | 47.2 mi | 13.5 ft | 34 ft |
| 29 | Clearwater Lake | Wright | 47.4 mi | 9.8 ft | 73 ft |
| 30 | West Sylvia Lake | Wright | 49.6 mi | 22 ft | 97 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.