Best Lakes for Boating Near Oshkosh
Wisconsin
30 boating lakes within driving distance of Oshkosh, 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.
Oshkosh sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. Pearl Lake (A) leads the cluster.
The boating-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 boating use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pearl Lake | Waushara | A | 28.9 mi | 19 ft | 45 ft |
| 2 | Pine Lake | Waushara | A | 33.8 mi | 19.3 ft | 21 ft |
| 3 | Crystal Lake | Marquette | A | 40.8 mi | 16.8 ft | 60 ft |
| 4 | Big Cedar Lake | Washington | A | 45.2 mi | 16.4 ft | 105 ft |
| 5 | Fish Lake | Waushara | A | 47.8 mi | - | 37 ft |
| 6 | Elkhart Lake | Sheboygan | A | 29.2 mi | 10.5 ft | 119 ft |
| 7 | Kettle Moraine Lake | Fond du Lac | A | 30.6 mi | 11 ft | 30 ft |
| 8 | Long Lake | Waushara | A | 31.6 mi | 14.5 ft | 71 ft |
| 9 | Bear Lake | Waupaca | A | 33.3 mi | 11 ft | 62 ft |
| 10 | Lake Morris | Waushara | A | 33.6 mi | 11 ft | 40 ft |
| 11 | Gilbert Lake | Waushara | A | 33.7 mi | 12 ft | 65 ft |
| 12 | Silver Lake | Waushara | A | 34.5 mi | 10.2 ft | 50 ft |
| 13 | Long Lake | Waupaca | A | 37.8 mi | 13 ft | 76 ft |
| 14 | Tuttle Lake | Marquette | A | 37.8 mi | 11.5 ft | 33 ft |
| 15 | Iola Lake | Waupaca | A | 44.6 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 16 | Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend | Washington | A | 45.3 mi | 11.8 ft | 105 ft |
| 17 | Pine Lake | Shawano | A | 46.4 mi | 10.5 ft | 35 ft |
| 18 | Big Cedar Lake-South Site-Near West Bend | Washington | A | 47.1 mi | 12.6 ft | 105 ft |
| 19 | Pine Lake | Waushara | A | 48.6 mi | 10.2 ft | 48 ft |
| 20 | Lake Emily | Portage | A | 49.9 mi | 11 ft | 35 ft |
| 21 | Green Lake | Green Lake | B | 24.4 mi | - | - |
| 22 | Green Lake | Green Lake | B | 24.5 mi | 13.1 ft | 236 ft |
| 23 | Green Lake | Green Lake | B | 27.1 mi | 13 ft | 236 ft |
| 24 | Long Lake | Fond du Lac | B | 30.6 mi | 9.1 ft | 47 ft |
| 25 | White River Flowage Lake | Waushara | B | 35.4 mi | 9.3 ft | 20 ft |
| 26 | Lake Ellen | Sheboygan | B | 37.2 mi | 9 ft | 42 ft |
| 27 | Hatch Lake | Waupaca | B | 45 mi | 8.4 ft | 12 ft |
| 28 | Big Cedar Lake | Washington | B | 47.1 mi | 9.8 ft | 105 ft |
| 29 | Green Lake East Basin | Green Lake | B | 24.5 mi | 11.8 ft | 236 ft |
| 30 | Green Lake | Green Lake | B | 29 mi | 14.1 ft | 236 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.