Best Lakes for Boating Near St. Louis
Missouri
29 boating lakes within driving distance of St. Louis, Missouri, 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 St. Louis sit 29 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.
The boating-specific ranking layered on top of the readings is what produces the list below: a lake with clean readings that does not also support the boating use case is less useful than a decent one that does.
| # | Lake | County | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sherwood Lake | Warren | 42.6 mi | 5.9 ft | - |
| 2 | Goose Creek Lake | Ste. Genevieve | 45.1 mi | 9.9 ft | - |
| 3 | Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm | Warren | 46.1 mi | 3.8 ft | - |
| 4 | Alpine Lake | Warren | 48.3 mi | 12.6 ft | - |
| 5 | Holiday Shores Lake | Madison | 24.9 mi | 1.7 ft | - |
| 6 | Governor Bond Lake | Bond | 48.9 mi | 1.2 ft | - |
| 7 | Carlyle Lake | Clinton | 49.9 mi | 1.8 ft | - |
| 8 | Horseshoe Lake | Madison | 7.5 mi | - | - |
| 9 | Alton Slough | St. Charles | 16.8 mi | - | - |
| 10 | Dunlap Lake | Madison | 18.9 mi | - | - |
| 11 | Moredock Lake | Monroe | 22.4 mi | - | - |
| 12 | Silver Lake | Calhoun | 27.3 mi | - | - |
| 13 | Centaur Chute | St. Charles | 27.4 mi | - | - |
| 14 | Gilbert Lake | Jersey | 28.5 mi | - | - |
| 15 | Highland Silver Lake | Madison | 29.8 mi | - | - |
| 16 | Lower Stump Lake | Jersey | 31 mi | - | - |
| 17 | Kraut Run Lake | St. Charles | 31.7 mi | - | - |
| 18 | Lake St Louis | St. Charles | 32.8 mi | 2.7 ft | - |
| 19 | Upper Stump Lake | Jersey | 33.3 mi | - | - |
| 20 | Baldwin Lake | Randolph | 33.6 mi | - | - |
| 21 | Deep Lake | Jersey | 35.9 mi | - | - |
| 22 | New Gillespie Lake | Macoupin | 39.5 mi | - | - |
| 23 | Watson Lake | Calhoun | 40.3 mi | - | - |
| 24 | Kings Lake | Lincoln | 42 mi | - | - |
| 25 | Strator Pond | Calhoun | 43.7 mi | - | - |
| 26 | Incline Village Lake | Warren | 44.4 mi | - | - |
| 27 | Middle Slough | Calhoun | 45.1 mi | - | - |
| 28 | Lake Carlinville | Macoupin | 46.4 mi | - | - |
| 29 | Governor Bond Lake | Bond | 48.7 mi | - | - |
Other activities near St. Louis
Where to stay near St. Louis
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near St. Louis — book a place close to the best-rated lakes in the area.
Top-rated places to stay near St. Louis
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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 St. Louis?
Get lake water-quality updates plus the best cabin & lodging deals near St. Louis — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.