Best Lakes Near St. Cloud, MN
50 lakes within 50 miles of St. Cloud ranked by water quality grade.
Within reasonable driving distance of St. Cloud sit 50 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is A.
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.
| Lake | Distance | County | Grade | Depth | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sagatagan Lake | 11 mi | Stearns | A | 42 ft | 1 |
| Crooked Lake | 12.1 mi | Stearns | A | 35 ft | 10 |
| Big Watab Lake | 14 mi | Stearns | A | 123 ft | 15 |
| Big Fish Lake | 14.9 mi | Stearns | A | 70 ft | 15 |
| Kreighle Lake | 15.3 mi | Stearns | A | 66 ft | 9 |
| Sugar Lake | 17.9 mi | Wright | A | 69 ft | 16 |
| East Sylvia Lake | 21.6 mi | Wright | A | 78 ft | 14 |
| West Sylvia Lake | 22 mi | Wright | A | 97 ft | 15 |
| Birch Lake | 22.9 mi | Wright | A | 52 ft | 9 |
| Upper Maple Lake | 24.7 mi | Wright | A | 76 ft | 15 |
| Big Lake | 25.1 mi | Sherburne | A | 48 ft | 14 |
| Cedar Lake | 28.6 mi | Morrison | A | 88 ft | 14 |
| Pine Lake | 29.2 mi | Morrison | A | 59 ft | 12 |
| Pulaski Lake | 29.3 mi | Wright | A | - | 0 |
| Charlotte Lake | 34.9 mi | Wright | A | 46 ft | 10 |
| Mons Lake | 36.5 mi | Todd | A | 80 ft | 15 |
| George Lake | 45.5 mi | Kandiyohi | A | 34 ft | 15 |
| Alexander Lake | 48.4 mi | Morrison | A | 64 ft | 19 |
| East Hunter Lake | 32.6 mi | Sherburne | A | - | 2 |
| Ml-Vineland Lake | 46 mi | Mille Lacs | A | 42 ft | 21 |
| Ml Lake | 47.8 mi | Mille Lacs | A | 42 ft | 21 |
| Watab Lake | 6.8 mi | Stearns | A | 54 ft | 14 |
| Nixon Lake | 14.9 mi | Wright | A | 67 ft | 9 |
| Big Spunk Lake | 15 mi | Stearns | A | 38 ft | 19 |
| Bass Lake | 16.8 mi | Wright | A | 34 ft | 14 |
| Ember Lake | 17.7 mi | Wright | A | 45 ft | 9 |
| Cedar Lake | 20.5 mi | Wright | A | 108 ft | 16 |
| Ida Lake | 21.9 mi | Wright | A | 60 ft | 10 |
| Moose Lake | 23.7 mi | Wright | A | 43 ft | 11 |
| Mitchell Lake | 24.7 mi | Sherburne | A | 33 ft | 13 |
| Ann Lake | 24.9 mi | Sherburne | A | 26 ft | 10 |
| Big Lake | 25 mi | Sherburne | A | 48 ft | 14 |
| Sandy Lake | 31.6 mi | Sherburne | A | 41 ft | 7 |
| Little Birch Lake | 34.1 mi | Todd | A | 89 ft | 20 |
| Spectacle Lake | 36.7 mi | Isanti | A | 51.5 ft | 12 |
| Long Lake | 37.7 mi | Kandiyohi | A | 46 ft | 15 |
| Minnie-Belle Lake | 40.2 mi | Meeker | A | 49 ft | 14 |
| Sullivan Lake | 40.8 mi | Morrison | A | 57 ft | 18 |
| Peavy Lake | 41.1 mi | Morrison | A | 63 ft | 12 |
| Green Lake | 41.7 mi | Kandiyohi | A | 110 ft | 22 |
| Outlet of Onamia Lake on the Rum River | 42.1 mi | Mille Lacs | A | 10 ft | 0 |
| Outlet of Ogechie Lake on the Rum River | 43.4 mi | Mille Lacs | A | 6 ft | 0 |
| Elkhorn Lake | 45 mi | Kandiyohi | A | 41 ft | 15 |
| Henderson Lake | 46.3 mi | Kandiyohi | A | 57 ft | 10 |
| Little Long Lake | 48 mi | Hennepin | A | 45 ft | 13 |
| Unnamed Lake | 7.6 mi | Sherburne | B | 43 ft | 7 |
| Long Lake | 9.7 mi | Stearns | B | 28 ft | 5 |
| East Twin Lake | 35.7 mi | Anoka | B | 68 ft | 12 |
| Unnamed Lake | 4 mi | Stearns | B | - | 0 |
| Pleasant Lake | 7.3 mi | Stearns | B | 33 ft | 10 |
Lakes Near Other Cities
Frequently Asked Questions
How many lakes are near St. Cloud?
There are 50 graded lakes within 50 miles of St. Cloud, Minnesota. 45 of these have an A water quality grade (excellent).
What are the best lakes near St. Cloud for fishing?
46 lakes near St. Cloud have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine good water quality grades with diverse fish populations. 44 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.