What is the best kayaking lake near Rhinelander?

Mole Lake in Forest County is the top-ranked kayaking lake near Rhinelander on measured water quality (23.7 miles away).

How many lakes are near Rhinelander for kayaking?

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

Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Rhinelander, WI

30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Rhinelander, 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).

Rhinelander sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 measured lakes within reach. Mole Lake carries the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the cluster.

The kayaking-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 kayaking use case is less useful than a decent one that does.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	Mole Lake	Forest	23.7 mi	8.5 ft	17 ft
2	Moon Lake	Gogebic	38.3 mi	18 ft	-
3	Bass Lake	Oneida	1.9 mi	6 ft	20 ft
4	Lake Julia	Oneida	1.9 mi	9.9 ft	19 ft
5	Lake Thompson	Oneida	4 mi	4 ft	30 ft
6	Velvet Lake	Oneida	4.3 mi	12.8 ft	16 ft
7	George Lake	Oneida	4.3 mi	5 ft	26 ft
8	Flannery Lake	Oneida	4.6 mi	14.5 ft	35 ft
9	Mildred Lake	Oneida	6.1 mi	18 ft	45 ft
10	Washburn Lake	Oneida	7.1 mi	7.5 ft	27 ft
11	Squash Lake	Oneida	7.5 mi	17.5 ft	74 ft
12	Nose Lake	Oneida	8 mi	12 ft	16 ft
13	Tom Doyle Lake	Oneida	9.7 mi	7 ft	30 ft
14	Alva Lake	Oneida	10 mi	19.5 ft	43 ft
15	Oneida Lake	Oneida	10.5 mi	5.5 ft	34 ft
16	Stella Lake	Oneida	12 mi	8 ft	22 ft
17	Manson Lake	Oneida	12.1 mi	12 ft	54 ft
18	Oscar Jenny Lake	Oneida	12.4 mi	8.9 ft	24 ft
19	Indian Lake	Oneida	13.3 mi	11 ft	26 ft
20	Spur Lake	Oneida	13.7 mi	2 ft	3 ft
21	Lake Buteau	Lincoln	13.9 mi	19.4 ft	50 ft
22	Little Bearskin Lake	Oneida	14.4 mi	8.3 ft	27 ft
23	Pickerel Lake	Lincoln	14.6 mi	-	14 ft
24	Bearskin Lake	Oneida	14.6 mi	6 ft	26 ft
25	Long Lake	Lincoln	14.7 mi	14.5 ft	64 ft
26	Seven Island Lake	Lincoln	14.7 mi	14 ft	31 ft
27	Bass Lake	Lincoln	14.8 mi	12.5 ft	40 ft
28	Hasbrook Lake	Oneida	16.1 mi	21 ft	50 ft
29	Clear Lake	Lincoln	16.6 mi	18 ft	45 ft
30	Maple Lake	Oneida	16.7 mi	12.5 ft	15 ft

Other activities near Rhinelander

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Where to stay near Rhinelander

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

Top-rated places to stay near Rhinelander

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.