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LakeQuality

Best Lakes Near Rochester, MN

30 lakes within 50 miles of Rochester ranked by water quality grade.

Within reasonable driving distance of Rochester 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 D.

The lakes below are sorted by composite LakeGrade rubric score. If you have a specific activity in mind — swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing — the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.

30
Lakes Within 50 mi
1
Grade A Lakes
12
With Fish Data
20
Public Access
LakeDistanceCountyGradeDepthFish
Bamber Lake1.5 miOlmstedA-0
North Lake 348.2 miGoodhueB-0
Beaver Lake44 miSteeleB27 ft13
Nugget Lake46.7 miPierceB-0
Kelly Lake50 miRiceB-0
Sturgeon Lake 244.8 miGoodhueC-0
North Lake 247.3 miGoodhueC-0
Sturgeon Lake 143.4 miGoodhueC-0
Sturgeon Lake 344.6 miGoodhueC-0
North Lake 145.6 miGoodhueC-0
Clear Lake 246.7 miGoodhueC-0
Dudley Lake49.7 miRiceC60 ft11
Goose Lake42.5 miGoodhueD-0
Clear Lake 145.4 miGoodhueD-0
Shady Lake11 miOlmstedD13 ft0
Zumbro Lake12.4 miOlmstedD43 ft24
Halfmoon Lake32 miWabashaD-0
Robinson Lake34.5 miWabashaD-0
Winona Lake41.5 miWinonaD38 ft24
St. Olaf Lake47 miWasecaD33 ft11
Fox Lake49.4 miRiceD47 ft17
Silver Lake1.7 miOlmstedF11 ft13
Manor Woods Pond1.8 miOlmstedF-0
Pepin Lake33.9 miPepinF60 ft47
Pepin Lake34.2 miPepinF60 ft3
Byllesby Lake42.6 miDakotaF50 ft19
Nelson Lake44 miGoodhueF-0
Wells Lake46.6 miRiceF4 ft15
Roberds Lake48.1 miRiceF43 ft18
Watkins Lake48.5 miWasecaF-0

Lakes Near Other Cities

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes are near Rochester?

There are 30 graded lakes within 50 miles of Rochester, Minnesota. 1 of these have an A water quality grade (excellent).

What are the best lakes near Rochester for fishing?

12 lakes near Rochester have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine good water quality grades with diverse fish populations. 11 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.