Safest Lakes to Swim Near Park Rapids
Minnesota
30 lakes within driving distance of Park Rapids, Minnesota pass our swim-safety screen — grade A/B water, low algae, and public access. 0 have direct bacteria (E. coli) testing on record. 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 Park Rapids 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.
The swimming-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 swimming use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Swim Safety | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fish Hook Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 2.3 mi | 10.2 ft | 76 ft |
| 2 | Long Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 3.4 mi | 11.2 ft | 135 ft |
| 3 | Moran Lake | Hubbard | A | Limited data | 4.9 mi | 11.8 ft | 32 ft |
| 4 | Potato Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 5.6 mi | 11.5 ft | 87 ft |
| 5 | Hinds Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 6 mi | 13.5 ft | 36 ft |
| 6 | Boulder Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 6.6 mi | 10.8 ft | 28 ft |
| 7 | Big Sand Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 6.9 mi | 23 ft | 135 ft |
| 8 | Blue Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 7 mi | 17.3 ft | 84 ft |
| 9 | Big Stony Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 7.2 mi | 9.8 ft | 24 ft |
| 10 | Belle Taine Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 7.4 mi | 22.8 ft | 56 ft |
| 11 | Little Sand Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 7.5 mi | 20 ft | 80 ft |
| 12 | Eagle Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 7.7 mi | 11.2 ft | 77 ft |
| 13 | Emma Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 8.5 mi | 18.5 ft | 50 ft |
| 14 | Pickerel Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 8.6 mi | 11.1 ft | 26 ft |
| 15 | Island Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 9.1 mi | 10.5 ft | 65 ft |
| 16 | Shallow Lake | Hubbard | A | Limited data | 9.4 mi | 8.2 ft | 10 ft |
| 17 | Deer Lake | Hubbard | A | Limited data | 9.8 mi | 12.8 ft | 9 ft |
| 18 | Fourth Crow Wing Lake | Hubbard | A | Limited data | 9.8 mi | 8 ft | 10 ft |
| 19 | Upper Bottle Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 10.2 mi | 16 ft | 55 ft |
| 20 | Two Inlets Lake | Becker | A | Limited data | 10.2 mi | 9 ft | 60 ft |
| 21 | Dead Lake | Hubbard | A | Limited data | 10.3 mi | 16 ft | 34 ft |
| 22 | Island Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 10.6 mi | 16.4 ft | 32 ft |
| 23 | Duck Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 10.7 mi | 10.2 ft | 23 ft |
| 24 | Palmer Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 10.7 mi | 9.5 ft | 21 ft |
| 25 | Hungry Man Lake | Becker | A | Limited data | 11.4 mi | 14.4 ft | 21 ft |
| 26 | Skunk Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 11.6 mi | 16.5 ft | 55 ft |
| 27 | Spider (Ne Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 11.6 mi | 17.1 ft | 96 ft |
| 28 | Spirit Lake | Wadena | A | Low algae | 12 mi | 15.4 ft | 45 ft |
| 29 | Mantrap Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 12.3 mi | 12 ft | - |
| 30 | Crooked Lake | Hubbard | A | Low algae | 12.3 mi | 19 ft | - |
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Where to stay near Park Rapids
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.