Best Lakes for Kayaking Near St. Louis
Missouri
3 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 (3 graded lakes within reach), so the choices are limited. L Ste Louise Lake (C) 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 | L Ste Louise Lake | St. Charles | C | 34.1 mi | 3.2 ft | - |
| 2 | L. Ste. Louise Lake | St. Charles | C | 34.5 mi | 2.6 ft | - |
| 3 | Callaway Fork Lake | St. Charles | C | 35.1 mi | 3.3 ft | - |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.