What is the best kayaking lake near Oshkosh?

Rush Lake in Winnebago County is the top-ranked kayaking lake near Oshkosh on measured water quality (15.3 miles away).

How many lakes are near Oshkosh for kayaking?

30 lakes within driving distance of Oshkosh match the kayaking filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Oshkosh, WI

30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Oshkosh, 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).

Within reasonable driving distance of Oshkosh sit 30 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

Filtered for kayaking, the nearby-lake list narrows further. kayaking-specific signals, fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion, interact with the water-quality readings in different ways depending on the use case.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	Rush Lake	Winnebago	15.3 mi	3.2 ft	5 ft
2	Wolf Lake	Fond du Lac	20 mi	5 ft	47 ft
3	De Neveu Lake	Fond du Lac	21.6 mi	11 ft	67 ft
4	Pearl Lake	Waushara	28.9 mi	19 ft	45 ft
5	Wilke Lake	Manitowoc	29.2 mi	7 ft	21 ft
6	Elkhart Lake	Sheboygan	29.2 mi	10.5 ft	119 ft
7	White Lake	Waupaca	30.3 mi	5.6 ft	10 ft
8	Long Lake	Fond du Lac	30.6 mi	9.1 ft	47 ft
9	Kettle Moraine Lake	Fond du Lac	30.6 mi	11 ft	30 ft
10	Cedar Lake	Manitowoc	30.9 mi	10.2 ft	21 ft
11	Long Lake	Waushara	31.6 mi	14.5 ft	71 ft
12	Little Elkhart Lake	Sheboygan	32 mi	10 ft	25 ft
13	Alpine Lake	Waushara	32.3 mi	-	18 ft
14	Kusel Lake	Waushara	32.6 mi	11.5 ft	29 ft
15	Little Hills Lake	Waushara	33.1 mi	14 ft	20 ft
16	Wilson Lake	Waushara	33.1 mi	6.2 ft	12 ft
17	Spencer Lake	Waupaca	33.3 mi	8.5 ft	53 ft
18	Bear Lake	Waupaca	33.3 mi	11 ft	62 ft
19	Pigeon Lake	Manitowoc	33.4 mi	9.3 ft	62 ft
20	Lake Morris	Waushara	33.6 mi	11 ft	40 ft
21	Gilbert Lake	Waushara	33.7 mi	12 ft	65 ft
22	Auburn Lake	Fond du Lac	33.8 mi	7.6 ft	29 ft
23	Silver Lake	Waushara	34 mi	14.8 ft	56 ft
24	Porters Lake	Waushara	34.2 mi	11.3 ft	16 ft
25	Forest Lake	Fond du Lac	34.3 mi	14 ft	32 ft
26	Silver Lake	Waushara	34.5 mi	10.2 ft	50 ft
27	Shadow Lake	Waupaca	34.9 mi	12 ft	41 ft
28	White River Flowage Lake	Waushara	35.4 mi	9.3 ft	20 ft
29	Stratton Lake	Waupaca	36.7 mi	13 ft	42 ft
30	Taylor Lake	Waupaca	36.9 mi	10 ft	58 ft

Other activities near Oshkosh

Swimming near Oshkosh →Fishing near Oshkosh →Boating near Oshkosh →All lakes near Oshkosh →

Where to stay near Oshkosh

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Oshkosh — book a place close to the best-rated lakes in the area.

Top-rated places to stay near Oshkosh

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.