Safest Lakes to Swim Near St. Cloud
Minnesota
22 lakes within driving distance of St. Cloud, Minnesota pass our swim-safety screen — grade A/B water, low algae, and public access. 0 have direct bacteria (E. coli) testing on record. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
Within reasonable driving distance of St. Cloud sit 22 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is A.
Filtered for swimming, the nearby-lake list narrows further. swimming-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the letter grade in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Swim Safety | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crooked Lake | Stearns | A | Low algae | 12.1 mi | 15.5 ft | 35 ft |
| 2 | Nixon Lake | Wright | A | Limited data | 14.9 mi | 13.1 ft | 67 ft |
| 3 | Big Spunk Lake | Stearns | A | Low algae | 15 mi | 10 ft | 38 ft |
| 4 | Big Fish Lake | Stearns | A | Low algae | 15 mi | 20 ft | 70 ft |
| 5 | Bass Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 16.8 mi | 13.5 ft | 34 ft |
| 6 | School Section Lake | Stearns | A | Low algae | 16.9 mi | 9.8 ft | 14 ft |
| 7 | Clearwater Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 17.9 mi | 9.8 ft | 73 ft |
| 8 | Sugar Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 17.9 mi | 16.5 ft | 69 ft |
| 9 | Pleasant Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 19.8 mi | 11.5 ft | 74 ft |
| 10 | Cedar Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 20.5 mi | 14.3 ft | 108 ft |
| 11 | Ida Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 21.9 mi | 13.1 ft | 60 ft |
| 12 | West Sylvia Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 22 mi | 22 ft | 97 ft |
| 13 | Birch Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 22.9 mi | 15 ft | 52 ft |
| 14 | Moose Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 23.7 mi | 14.4 ft | 43 ft |
| 15 | Upper Maple Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 24.7 mi | 17.2 ft | 76 ft |
| 16 | Ann Lake | Sherburne | A | Limited data | 24.9 mi | 11.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 17 | Big Lake | Sherburne | A | Low algae | 25 mi | 13.6 ft | 48 ft |
| 18 | Pierz Lake | Morrison | A | Limited data | 27.8 mi | 9.5 ft | 34 ft |
| 19 | Cedar Lake | Morrison | A | Limited data | 28.6 mi | 16.2 ft | 88 ft |
| 20 | Pine Lake | Morrison | A | Low algae | 29.2 mi | 15.1 ft | 59 ft |
| 21 | Pulaski Lake | Wright | A | Low algae | 29.3 mi | 18 ft | - |
| 22 | John Lake | Wright | B | Low algae | 20.6 mi | 8 ft | 28 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.