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. Green Lake (A) leads the cluster.
The boating-specific ranking layered on top of the letter grade 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 | Green Lake | Green Lake | A | 26.9 mi | 13.5 ft | 236 ft |
| 2 | Big Cedar Lake-North Site-Near West Bend | Washington | A | 45.3 mi | 11.8 ft | 105 ft |
| 3 | Rush Lake | Winnebago | B | 15.3 mi | 3.2 ft | 5 ft |
| 4 | Pearl Lake | Waushara | B | 28.9 mi | 19 ft | 45 ft |
| 5 | Elkhart Lake | Sheboygan | B | 29.2 mi | 10.5 ft | 119 ft |
| 6 | White Lake | Waupaca | B | 30.3 mi | 5.6 ft | 10 ft |
| 7 | Long Lake | Fond du Lac | B | 30.6 mi | 9.1 ft | 47 ft |
| 8 | Kettle Moraine Lake | Fond du Lac | B | 30.6 mi | 11 ft | 30 ft |
| 9 | Cedar Lake | Manitowoc | B | 30.9 mi | 10.2 ft | 21 ft |
| 10 | Long Lake | Waushara | B | 31.6 mi | 14.5 ft | 71 ft |
| 11 | Bear Lake | Waupaca | B | 33.3 mi | 11 ft | 62 ft |
| 12 | Lake Morris | Waushara | B | 33.6 mi | 11 ft | 40 ft |
| 13 | Gilbert Lake | Waushara | B | 33.7 mi | 12 ft | 65 ft |
| 14 | Silver Lake | Waushara | B | 34.5 mi | 10.2 ft | 50 ft |
| 15 | White River Flowage Lake | Waushara | B | 35.4 mi | 9.3 ft | 20 ft |
| 16 | Lake Ellen | Sheboygan | B | 37.2 mi | 9 ft | 42 ft |
| 17 | Long Lake | Waupaca | B | 37.8 mi | 13 ft | 76 ft |
| 18 | Tuttle Lake | Marquette | B | 37.8 mi | 11.5 ft | 33 ft |
| 19 | Crystal Lake | Marquette | B | 40.8 mi | 16.8 ft | 60 ft |
| 20 | Random Lake | Sheboygan | B | 44 mi | 4.5 ft | 22.2 ft |
| 21 | Iola Lake | Waupaca | B | 44.6 mi | 10 ft | 9 ft |
| 22 | Hatch Lake | Waupaca | B | 45 mi | 8.4 ft | 12 ft |
| 23 | Pine Lake | Shawano | B | 46.4 mi | 10.5 ft | 35 ft |
| 24 | Pine Lake | Waushara | B | 48.6 mi | 10.2 ft | 48 ft |
| 25 | Lake Emily | Portage | B | 49.9 mi | 11 ft | 35 ft |
| 26 | Lake Emily | Dodge | C | 34.7 mi | 3.5 ft | 10 ft |
| 27 | Little Lake Butte des Morts | Winnebago | D | 13.9 mi | 2 ft | 18 ft |
| 28 | Silver Creek Estuary Lake | Green Lake | D | 23.6 mi | - | 236 ft |
| 29 | Long Lake | Manitowoc | D | 26.1 mi | 1.9 ft | 38 ft |
| 30 | Little Green Lake | Green Lake | D | 29.7 mi | 3.2 ft | 28 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.