Best Lakes for Boating Near Sioux Falls
South Dakota
24 boating lakes within driving distance of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 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 Sioux Falls sit 24 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals, fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion, interact with the water-quality readings in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fensterman Slough | Minnehaha | 13.6 mi | - | - |
| 2 | Grass Lake | Minnehaha | 15.8 mi | - | - |
| 3 | Beaver Lake | Minnehaha | 17.2 mi | - | - |
| 4 | Lost Lake | Minnehaha | 17.7 mi | - | - |
| 5 | Englehardt Slough | Minnehaha | 19.8 mi | - | - |
| 6 | Clear Lake | Minnehaha | 20.6 mi | - | - |
| 7 | Mud Lake | Turner | 23.3 mi | - | - |
| 8 | Buffalo Slough | Lake | 25.1 mi | - | - |
| 9 | Buffalo Lake | Minnehaha | 25.3 mi | - | - |
| 10 | Diamond Lake | Minnehaha | 27.6 mi | - | - |
| 11 | Round Lake | Lake | 29.6 mi | - | - |
| 12 | Long Lake | Lake | 30.2 mi | - | - |
| 13 | Silver Lake | Hutchinson | 34.7 mi | - | - |
| 14 | Lake George | Lake | 38.1 mi | - | - |
| 15 | Tuschen Slough | McCook | 38.4 mi | - | - |
| 16 | Lake Henry | Lake | 39.2 mi | - | - |
| 17 | Mud Lake | Lake | 44.8 mi | - | - |
| 18 | Crane Slough | Lake | 45.2 mi | - | - |
| 19 | Lake Eli | Hanson | 46 mi | - | - |
| 20 | Lake Badus | Lake | 46.6 mi | - | - |
| 21 | Molumby Slough | Lake | 46.9 mi | - | - |
| 22 | Dry Lake | Lake | 47.5 mi | - | - |
| 23 | East Lake Badus | Lake | 48.3 mi | - | - |
| 24 | Gilman Lake | Lake | 49.1 mi | - | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.