Best Lakes for Kayaking Near St. Louis
Missouri
2 kayaking lakes within driving distance of St. Louis, Missouri, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for grade A, B, or C water quality, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).
Lakes near St. Louis are sparser (2 graded lakes within reach), so the choices are limited. Lake Wauwanoka Nr. Dam (A) is the standout.
The kayaking-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 kayaking use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Wauwanoka Nr. Dam | Jefferson | A | 32.9 mi | 12.9 ft | - |
| 2 | Lake Tishomingo Nr. Dam | Jefferson | C | 30.5 mi | 5.4 ft | - |
Other activities near St. Louis
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.