Best Lakes Near St. Paul, MN, 50 Lakes Within 50 Miles

50 lakes within 50 miles of St. Paul have nutrient and algae readings on record. Sunfish Lake in Dakota County leads the set on measured water quality, with about 9.7 ft of clarity. 26 of the 50 have a recorded public access point.

Within reasonable driving distance of St. Paul sit 50 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

The lakes below are sorted on measured water quality. If you have a specific activity in mind, swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing, the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.

Lakes Within 50 mi

With Clarity Readings

With Fish Data

Public Access

Lake	Distance	County	Clarity	Depth	Fish
Sunfish Lake	5.4 mi	Dakota	9.7 ft	-	0
Rogers Lake	6.2 mi	Dakota	6.6 ft	8 ft	7
East Vadnais Lake	7.1 mi	Ramsey	—	58 ft	15
Snail Lake	8.4 mi	Ramsey	11 ft	30 ft	11
Olson Lake	8.4 mi	Washington	11.2 ft	15 ft	11
Jane Lake	9.1 mi	Washington	13 ft	39 ft	11
Birch Lake	9.2 mi	Ramsey	5.9 ft	-	0
White Bear Lake	9.9 mi	Washington	14.4 ft	83 ft	18
Turtle Lake	10.1 mi	Ramsey	7.5 ft	28 ft	15
Elmo Lake	10.2 mi	Washington	11.1 ft	140 ft	13
Holland Lake	11.7 mi	Dakota	27.9 ft	55 ft	6
Otter Lake	12 mi	Ramsey	11.5 ft	21 ft	12
Wood Pile Lake	12.1 mi	Washington	10 ft	-	0
Pine Tree Lake	12.2 mi	Washington	8.5 ft	-	8
Sweeney Lake	12.3 mi	Hennepin	6.9 ft	28 ft	12
O'Brien Lake	12.3 mi	Dakota	18 ft	-	0
Master Man Lake	12.6 mi	Washington	4.5 ft	-	0
Laddie Lake	13.9 mi	Anoka	—	4 ft	0
Edith Lake	13.9 mi	Washington	8.2 ft	43 ft	0
Sunset Lake	14.5 mi	Washington	9.5 ft	17 ft	11
Lily Lake	14.6 mi	Washington	10.5 ft	51 ft	10
Bush Lake	16.4 mi	Hennepin	13 ft	28 ft	12
Lost Lake	16.8 mi	Hennepin	3.2 ft	6 ft	0
Lac Lavon Lake	17.8 mi	Dakota	12.1 ft	32 ft	9
Little Carnelian Lake	18.3 mi	Washington	20 ft	68 ft	10
Big Carnelian Lake	18.4 mi	Washington	14.5 ft	66 ft	12
West Boot Lake	19.1 mi	Washington	14 ft	34 ft	8
East Boot Lake	19.3 mi	Washington	15 ft	27 ft	7
Twin Lake	19.6 mi	Washington	13 ft	-	0
Clear Lake	19.6 mi	Washington	14 ft	27 ft	6
Pomerleau Lake	19.6 mi	Hennepin	10.3 ft	26 ft	5
Square Lake	19.7 mi	Washington	17 ft	68 ft	9
Mays Lake	19.8 mi	Washington	11 ft	25 ft	0
Big Marine Lake	20.7 mi	Washington	12 ft	-	0
White Rock Lake	21 mi	Washington	7.5 ft	-	0
Howard Lake	21.4 mi	Anoka	3.3 ft	-	12
Cate'S Lake	21.5 mi	Scott	5.6 ft	-	0
Marion Lake	22.3 mi	Dakota	7 ft	21 ft	14
Halfbreed Lake	22.5 mi	Washington	5.2 ft	34 ft	10
Riley Lake	22.5 mi	Hennepin	11.5 ft	49 ft	11
Netta Lake	22.8 mi	Anoka	11.3 ft	-	0
Round Lake	23.7 mi	Anoka	8.9 ft	-	0
Grass Lake	25.6 mi	Anoka	4.3 ft	-	0
Minnewashta Lake	25.7 mi	Carver	11.5 ft	70 ft	14
St Joe Lake	26.6 mi	Carver	8.4 ft	52 ft	10
Courthouse Lake	27 mi	Carver	18.9 ft	57 ft	10
Brickyard Lake	27.3 mi	Carver	15 ft	43 ft	0
Fireman'S Lake	27.6 mi	Carver	10.7 ft	23 ft	8
Spider Lake	28.5 mi	Chisago	6.5 ft	9 ft	7
School Lake	28.6 mi	Chisago	7.9 ft	-	0

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Cleanest Lakes Near St. Paul

Sunfish Lake

5.4 mi · Dakota County · 9.7 ft clarity

Rogers Lake

6.2 mi · Dakota County · 6.6 ft clarity

East Vadnais Lake

7.1 mi · Ramsey County

Snail Lake

8.4 mi · Ramsey County · 11 ft clarity

Olson Lake

8.4 mi · Washington County · 11.2 ft clarity

Jane Lake

9.1 mi · Washington County · 13 ft clarity

Plan a lake trip in Minnesota

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Minnesota Fishing Guide

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Minnesota Lake Trips

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes are near St. Paul?

There are 50 lakes with water-quality readings on record within 50 miles of St. Paul, Minnesota. 26 of them have a recorded public access point and 48 have a clarity reading.

What are the best lakes near St. Paul for fishing?

32 lakes near St. Paul have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine favourable water-quality readings with diverse fish populations. 32 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.

Where to stay near St. Paul

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near St. Paul — book a place close to the cleanest lakes in the area.

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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.