Best Lakes for Boating Near Rockford
Illinois
24 boating lakes within driving distance of Rockford, Illinois, 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.
Within reasonable driving distance of Rockford sit 24 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is C.
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 | Geneva Lake | Walworth | A | 35.8 mi | 21 ft | 135 ft |
| 2 | Powers Lake | Kenosha | A | 44.8 mi | 10 ft | 33 ft |
| 3 | Delavan Lake | Walworth | B | 34.9 mi | - | 52 ft |
| 4 | Turtle Lake | Walworth | B | 37.9 mi | 11 ft | 30 ft |
| 5 | Whitewater Lake | Walworth | B | 39.3 mi | 4 ft | 35 ft |
| 6 | Mill Lake | Walworth | B | 43.4 mi | 7.5 ft | 40 ft |
| 7 | Middle Lake | Walworth | B | 43.8 mi | 10 ft | 40 ft |
| 8 | Green Lake | Walworth | B | 44.2 mi | 11 ft | 57 ft |
| 9 | Pleasant Lake | Walworth | B | 45.1 mi | 12 ft | 29 ft |
| 10 | Lake Mary | Kenosha | B | 46.1 mi | 6.4 ft | 33 ft |
| 11 | Blue Spring Lake | Jefferson | B | 47.9 mi | 6.2 ft | 27 ft |
| 12 | Red Cedar Lake | Jefferson | B | 48.9 mi | 4 ft | 6 ft |
| 13 | Booth Lake | Walworth | B | 49.8 mi | 8 ft | 24 ft |
| 14 | Delavan Lake | Walworth | C | 33.5 mi | 8.9 ft | 52 ft |
| 15 | Lake Lorraine | Walworth | C | 36.9 mi | - | 8 ft |
| 16 | Comus Lake | Walworth | D | 34.5 mi | 1.5 ft | 6 ft |
| 17 | Outlet To Lake Geneva | Walworth | D | 39.2 mi | - | 135 ft |
| 18 | Rice Lake | Walworth | D | 40.2 mi | 1.7 ft | 10 ft |
| 19 | Lake Koshkonong | Jefferson | D | 40.4 mi | 1.7 ft | 7 ft |
| 20 | Rice Lake | Dane | D | 43.2 mi | 1.5 ft | 8 ft |
| 21 | Lake Kegonsa | Dane | D | 48.5 mi | 3.7 ft | 32 ft |
| 22 | Rock River Lake | Rock | NR | 29.1 mi | 21 ft | - |
| 23 | North Lake | Walworth | NR | 40.4 mi | 3.5 ft | 11 ft |
| 24 | Lake Wandawega | Walworth | NR | 42.3 mi | 6 ft | 8 ft |
Other activities near Rockford
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
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip to Rockford?
Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Rockford — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.