Best Lakes for Boating Near Rochester
Minnesota
12 boating lakes within driving distance of Rochester, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and boating-specific filters. Filtered for at least 100 acres and public access. The largest lakes with boat-worthy water are listed first.
A moderate cluster of 12 graded lakes lies within reach of Rochester, averaging a grade of F. Nugget Lake (B) is the cleanest of the set.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nugget Lake | Pierce | B | 46.7 mi | 7.5 ft | - |
| 2 | Zumbro Lake | Olmsted | D | 12.4 mi | 4 ft | 43 ft |
| 3 | Winona Lake | Winona | D | 41.5 mi | 2.6 ft | 38 ft |
| 4 | Cannon Lake | Rice | D | 46.6 mi | 4.1 ft | 15 ft |
| 5 | Fox Lake | Rice | D | 49.4 mi | 3 ft | 47 ft |
| 6 | Pepin Lake | Pepin | F | 33.9 mi | 3 ft | 60 ft |
| 7 | Pepin Lake | Pepin | F | 34.2 mi | 1.5 ft | 60 ft |
| 8 | Goose Lake | Goodhue | F | 42.5 mi | 0.4 ft | 5.7 ft |
| 9 | Byllesby Lake | Dakota | F | 42.6 mi | 3 ft | 50 ft |
| 10 | Wells Lake | Rice | F | 46.6 mi | 2 ft | 4 ft |
| 11 | Roberds Lake | Rice | F | 48.1 mi | 2.5 ft | 43 ft |
| 12 | Watkins Lake | Waseca | F | 48.5 mi | 3.2 ft | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.