Best Lakes Near Rockford, IL

50 lakes within 50 miles of Rockford ranked by water quality grade.

Rockford sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 50 graded lakes within reach, average grade C. Baumann Park Lake (A) leads the cluster.

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.

Lakes Within 50 mi

Grade A Lakes

With Fish Data

Public Access

Lake	Distance	County	Grade	Depth	Fish
Baumann Park Lake	7.5 mi	Winnebago	A	-	0
Geneva Lake	35.8 mi	Walworth	A	135 ft	6
Silver Lake	43.3 mi	McHenry	A	-	0
Powers Lake	44.8 mi	Kenosha	A	33 ft	5
Delavan Lake	34.9 mi	Walworth	B	52 ft	6
Turtle Lake	37.9 mi	Walworth	B	30 ft	3
Shabbona Lake	38.3 mi	DeKalb	B	-	0
Whitewater Lake	39.3 mi	Walworth	B	35 ft	4
Mill Lake	43.4 mi	Walworth	B	40 ft	4
Middle Lake	43.8 mi	Walworth	B	40 ft	4
Green Lake	44.2 mi	Walworth	B	57 ft	4
Pleasant Lake	45.1 mi	Walworth	B	29 ft	4
Lake Mary	46.1 mi	Kenosha	B	33 ft	4
Big Rock Lake	47.2 mi	Kane	B	-	0
Blue Spring Lake	47.9 mi	Jefferson	B	27 ft	3
Red Cedar Lake	48.9 mi	Jefferson	B	6 ft	1
Lilly Lake	49.3 mi	Kenosha	B	22 ft	3
Booth Lake	49.8 mi	Walworth	B	24 ft	2
Delavan Lake	33.5 mi	Walworth	C	52 ft	6
Lake Lorraine	36.9 mi	Walworth	C	8 ft	2
Clear Lake	37 mi	Rock	C	12 ft	3
Woods Creek Lake	39.9 mi	McHenry	C	-	0
Tower Lake	48.1 mi	Lake	C	-	0
Lower Spring Lake	49.6 mi	Jefferson	C	-	0
Comus Lake	34.5 mi	Walworth	D	6 ft	3
Leota Lake	37.2 mi	Rock	D	15 ft	3
Outlet To Lake Geneva	39.2 mi	Walworth	D	135 ft	6
Rice Lake	40.2 mi	Walworth	D	10 ft	3
Lake Koshkonong	40.4 mi	Jefferson	D	7 ft	7
Rice Lake	43.2 mi	Dane	D	8 ft	1
Lily Lake	45.6 mi	McHenry	D	-	0
Lake Kegonsa	48.5 mi	Dane	D	32 ft	7
Fox Lake	49.1 mi	Lake	D	-	0
Island Lake	45.7 mi	McHenry	F	-	0
Pistakee Lake	45.8 mi	McHenry	F	-	0
Slocum Lake	46.3 mi	Lake	F	-	0
Nippersink Lake	47.8 mi	Lake	F	-	0
Grass Lake	49 mi	Lake	F	-	0
Long Lake	49.9 mi	Lake	F	-	0
Rock River Lake	29.1 mi	Rock	NR	-	0
Clear Lake	36.8 mi	Rock	NR	-	0
North Lake	40.4 mi	Walworth	NR	11 ft	3
Silver Lake	41.2 mi	Walworth	NR	3 ft	0
Lake Wandawega	42.3 mi	Walworth	NR	8 ft	3
Silver Lake	43.3 mi	McHenry	NR	-	0
Lake Ivanhoe	43.7 mi	Walworth	NR	10 ft	3
Bass Lake	43.8 mi	Lee	NR	-	0
Woodhaven Lake	43.9 mi	Lee	NR	-	0
Timber Lake	45.9 mi	Carroll	NR	-	0
Peters Lake	47.6 mi	Walworth	NR	8 ft	3

Top-Rated Lakes Near Rockford

Baumann Park Lake

7.5 mi · Winnebago County · Grade A

Geneva Lake

35.8 mi · Walworth County · Grade A

Silver Lake

43.3 mi · McHenry County · Grade A

Powers Lake

44.8 mi · Kenosha County · Grade A

Delavan Lake

34.9 mi · Walworth County · Grade B

Turtle Lake

37.9 mi · Walworth County · Grade B

Plan a lake trip in Illinois

The State of Illinois's Lakes

Illinois's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked A–F

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Illinois Lake Trips

Where to stay at Illinois's top lakes, each with its grade

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes are near Rockford?

There are 50 graded lakes within 50 miles of Rockford, Illinois. 4 of these have an A water quality grade (excellent).

What are the best lakes near Rockford for fishing?

28 lakes near Rockford have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine good water quality grades with diverse fish populations. 7 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.

Where to stay near Rockford

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

Top-rated places to stay near Rockford

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.