Best Lakes Near St. Paul, MN
50 lakes within 50 miles of St. Paul ranked by water quality grade.
Within reasonable driving distance of St. Paul sit 50 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is A.
The lakes below are sorted by composite LakeGrade rubric score. If you have a specific activity in mind — swimming, kayaking, ice-fishing, family-fishing — the activity-specific sub-pages will filter further.
| Lake | Distance | County | Grade | Depth | Fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grass Lake | 7.4 mi | Ramsey | A | - | 0 |
| Holland Lake | 11.7 mi | Dakota | A | 55 ft | 6 |
| Little Carnelian Lake | 18.3 mi | Washington | A | 68 ft | 10 |
| Big Carnelian Lake | 18.6 mi | Washington | A | 66 ft | 12 |
| East Boot Lake | 19.3 mi | Washington | A | 27 ft | 7 |
| Square Lake | 19.7 mi | Washington | A | 68 ft | 9 |
| Krenz Lake | 20.6 mi | Scott | A | - | 0 |
| Courthouse Lake | 27 mi | Carver | A | 57 ft | 10 |
| Brickyard Lake | 27.3 mi | Carver | A | 43 ft | 0 |
| Lower Pine Lake | 32.4 mi | Polk | A | 102 ft | 3 |
| Charlotte Lake | 34.8 mi | Wright | A | 46 ft | 10 |
| Sand Lake | 39 mi | Polk | A | - | 0 |
| Pulaski Lake | 40.9 mi | Wright | A | - | 0 |
| Deer Lake | 41.5 mi | Polk | A | 46 ft | 5 |
| Big Lake | 41.9 mi | Sherburne | A | 48 ft | 14 |
| South Twin Lake | 42.8 mi | Polk | A | 9 ft | 3 |
| North Twin Lake | 43.2 mi | Polk | A | 27 ft | 4 |
| Pike Lake | 43.6 mi | Polk | A | 33 ft | 4 |
| Clear Lake | 44.9 mi | Polk | A | 26 ft | 4 |
| Birch Lake | 45.2 mi | Wright | A | 52 ft | 9 |
| Upper Maple Lake | 46.7 mi | Wright | A | 76 ft | 15 |
| Half Moon Lake | 49.4 mi | Polk | A | 60 ft | 4 |
| Olson Lake | 8.4 mi | Washington | A | 15 ft | 11 |
| Jane Lake | 9.1 mi | Washington | A | 39 ft | 11 |
| Elmo Lake | 10.2 mi | Washington | A | 140 ft | 13 |
| O'Brien Lake | 12.3 mi | Dakota | A | - | 0 |
| Bush Lake | 16.4 mi | Hennepin | A | 28 ft | 12 |
| Lac Lavon Lake | 17.8 mi | Dakota | A | 32 ft | 9 |
| Big Carnelian Lake | 18.4 mi | Washington | A | 66 ft | 12 |
| West Boot Lake | 19.1 mi | Washington | A | 34 ft | 8 |
| Twin Lake | 19.6 mi | Washington | A | - | 0 |
| Clear Lake | 19.6 mi | Washington | A | 27 ft | 6 |
| Mays Lake | 19.8 mi | Washington | A | 25 ft | 0 |
| Minnewashta Lake | 25.7 mi | Carver | A | 70 ft | 14 |
| White Bear Lake | 9.9 mi | Washington | A | 83 ft | 18 |
| Netta Lake | 22.8 mi | Anoka | A | - | 0 |
| Bass Lake | 23.1 mi | St. Croix | A | - | 0 |
| Little Long Lake | 30.1 mi | Hennepin | A | 45 ft | 13 |
| Piersons Lake | 31 mi | Carver | A | 40 ft | 14 |
| Pine Lake | 33 mi | Polk | A | 34 ft | 3 |
| East Twin Lake | 33.1 mi | Anoka | A | 68 ft | 12 |
| Upper Birch Lake | 33.9 mi | Isanti | A | - | 0 |
| Paulsen Lake | 34.6 mi | Polk | A | - | 0 |
| Church Pine Lake | 35.2 mi | Polk | A | 45 ft | 4 |
| Wind Lake | 35.4 mi | Polk | A | - | 4 |
| Big Lake | 42 mi | Sherburne | A | 48 ft | 14 |
| Mitchell Lake | 42.4 mi | Sherburne | A | 33 ft | 13 |
| Sandy Lake | 42.4 mi | Sherburne | A | 41 ft | 7 |
| Ann Lake | 43.8 mi | Sherburne | A | 26 ft | 10 |
| Spectacle Lake | 45.6 mi | Isanti | A | 51.5 ft | 12 |
Top-Rated Lakes Near St. Paul
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many lakes are near St. Paul?
There are 50 graded lakes within 50 miles of St. Paul, Minnesota. 50 of these have an A water quality grade (excellent).
What are the best lakes near St. Paul for fishing?
38 lakes near St. Paul have documented fish species data. The best fishing lakes combine good water quality grades with diverse fish populations. 29 lakes within 50 miles have 5 or more documented fish species.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.