Best Lakes for Boating Near St. Cloud
Minnesota
14 boating lakes within driving distance of St. Cloud, 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 14 graded lakes lies within reach of St. Cloud, averaging a grade of C. Cedar Lake (A) is the cleanest of the set.
The boating-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the boating use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Lake | Wright | A | 20.5 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 2 | Green Lake | Kandiyohi | A | 41.7 mi | 13.1 ft | - |
| 3 | Outlet of Ogechie Lake on the Rum River | Mille Lacs | A | 43.4 mi | - | - |
| 4 | Big Birch Lake | Todd | B | 32.1 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 5 | Calhoun Lake | Kandiyohi | B | 38 mi | 7.3 ft | - |
| 6 | Pierz Lake | Morrison | C | 27.8 mi | 8 ft | - |
| 7 | Koronis Lake | Stearns | C | 30.4 mi | 6 ft | - |
| 8 | Nest Lake | Kandiyohi | C | 44 mi | 7.3 ft | - |
| 9 | Eagle Lake | Kandiyohi | C | 48.1 mi | 6.4 ft | - |
| 10 | Grove Lake | Pope | C | 48.9 mi | 5.1 ft | - |
| 11 | Lory Lake | Isanti | C | 40.4 mi | 6 ft | - |
| 12 | Cokato Lake | Wright | D | 30.8 mi | 6 ft | - |
| 13 | Deer Lake | Wright | D | 31.4 mi | 5 ft | - |
| 14 | Diamond Lake | Kandiyohi | D | 42.1 mi | 5 ft | - |
Other activities near St. Cloud
Swimming near St. Cloud →Fishing near St. Cloud →Kayaking near St. Cloud →All lakes near St. Cloud →
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.