Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Rhinelander
Wisconsin
30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for grade A, B, or C water quality, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).
Rhinelander sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. Mole Lake (A) leads the cluster.
The kayaking-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 kayaking use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mole Lake | Forest | A | 23.7 mi | 8.5 ft | 17 ft |
| 2 | Moon Lake | Gogebic | A | 38.3 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 3 | Bass Lake | Oneida | B | 1.9 mi | 6 ft | 20 ft |
| 4 | Lake Julia | Oneida | B | 1.9 mi | 9.9 ft | 19 ft |
| 5 | Lake Thompson | Oneida | B | 4 mi | 4 ft | 30 ft |
| 6 | Velvet Lake | Oneida | B | 4.3 mi | 12.8 ft | 16 ft |
| 7 | George Lake | Oneida | B | 4.3 mi | 5 ft | 26 ft |
| 8 | Flannery Lake | Oneida | B | 4.6 mi | 14.5 ft | 35 ft |
| 9 | Mildred Lake | Oneida | B | 6.1 mi | 18 ft | 45 ft |
| 10 | Washburn Lake | Oneida | B | 7.1 mi | 7.5 ft | 27 ft |
| 11 | Squash Lake | Oneida | B | 7.5 mi | 17.5 ft | 74 ft |
| 12 | Nose Lake | Oneida | B | 8 mi | 12 ft | 16 ft |
| 13 | Tom Doyle Lake | Oneida | B | 9.7 mi | 7 ft | 30 ft |
| 14 | Alva Lake | Oneida | B | 10 mi | 19.5 ft | 43 ft |
| 15 | Oneida Lake | Oneida | B | 10.5 mi | 5.5 ft | 34 ft |
| 16 | Stella Lake | Oneida | B | 12 mi | 8 ft | 22 ft |
| 17 | Manson Lake | Oneida | B | 12.1 mi | 12 ft | 54 ft |
| 18 | Oscar Jenny Lake | Oneida | B | 12.4 mi | 8.9 ft | 24 ft |
| 19 | Indian Lake | Oneida | B | 13.3 mi | 11 ft | 26 ft |
| 20 | Spur Lake | Oneida | B | 13.7 mi | 2 ft | 3 ft |
| 21 | Lake Buteau | Lincoln | B | 13.9 mi | 19.4 ft | 50 ft |
| 22 | Little Bearskin Lake | Oneida | B | 14.4 mi | 8.3 ft | 27 ft |
| 23 | Pickerel Lake | Lincoln | B | 14.6 mi | - | 14 ft |
| 24 | Bearskin Lake | Oneida | B | 14.6 mi | 6 ft | 26 ft |
| 25 | Long Lake | Lincoln | B | 14.7 mi | 14.5 ft | 64 ft |
| 26 | Seven Island Lake | Lincoln | B | 14.7 mi | 14 ft | 31 ft |
| 27 | Bass Lake | Lincoln | B | 14.8 mi | 12.5 ft | 40 ft |
| 28 | Hasbrook Lake | Oneida | B | 16.1 mi | 21 ft | 50 ft |
| 29 | Clear Lake | Lincoln | B | 16.6 mi | 18 ft | 45 ft |
| 30 | Maple Lake | Oneida | B | 16.7 mi | 12.5 ft | 15 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.