Best Lakes for Boating Near St. Louis
Missouri
12 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.
A moderate cluster of 12 graded lakes lies within reach of St. Louis, averaging a grade of C. Goose Creek 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 | Goose Creek Lake | Ste. Genevieve | A | 45.1 mi | 9.9 ft | - |
| 2 | Alpine Lake | Warren | A | 48.3 mi | 12.6 ft | - |
| 3 | Sherwood Lake | Warren | B | 41.8 mi | 4.9 ft | - |
| 4 | Sherwood Lake Nr. Dam | Warren | B | 42.6 mi | 5.9 ft | - |
| 5 | Lake Tishomingo Nr. Dam | Jefferson | C | 30.5 mi | 5.4 ft | - |
| 6 | Aspen Lake Along Southern Arm | Warren | C | 46.1 mi | 3.8 ft | - |
| 7 | Callaway Fork Lake | St. Charles | D | 35.1 mi | 3.3 ft | - |
| 8 | Lake St. Louis | St. Charles | D | 32.8 mi | 2.7 ft | - |
| 9 | Lake St. Louis by Dam | St. Charles | F | 32.8 mi | 2.3 ft | - |
| 10 | Holiday Shores Lake | Madison | F | 24.9 mi | 1.7 ft | - |
| 11 | Governor Bond Lake | Bond | F | 48.9 mi | 1.2 ft | - |
| 12 | Carlyle Lake | Clinton | F | 49.9 mi | 1.8 ft | - |
Other activities near St. Louis
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.