Best Lakes for Boating Near St. Paul
Minnesota
30 boating lakes within driving distance of St. Paul, Minnesota, 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.
St. Paul sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade A. Rogers Lake (A) leads the cluster.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the letter grade in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rogers Lake | Dakota | A | 6.2 mi | 6.6 ft | 8 ft |
| 2 | Snail Lake | Ramsey | A | 8.4 mi | 11 ft | 30 ft |
| 3 | Jane Lake | Washington | A | 9.1 mi | 13 ft | 39 ft |
| 4 | White Bear Lake | Washington | A | 9.9 mi | 14.4 ft | 83 ft |
| 5 | Turtle Lake | Ramsey | A | 10.1 mi | 7.5 ft | 28 ft |
| 6 | Elmo Lake | Washington | A | 10.2 mi | 11.1 ft | 140 ft |
| 7 | Otter Lake | Ramsey | A | 12 mi | 11.5 ft | 21 ft |
| 8 | Bush Lake | Hennepin | A | 16.4 mi | 13 ft | 28 ft |
| 9 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 18.4 mi | 14.5 ft | 66 ft |
| 10 | Square Lake | Washington | A | 19.7 mi | 17 ft | 68 ft |
| 11 | Marion Lake | Dakota | A | 22.3 mi | 7 ft | 21 ft |
| 12 | Riley Lake | Hennepin | A | 22.5 mi | 11.5 ft | 49 ft |
| 13 | Minnewashta Lake | Carver | A | 25.7 mi | 11.5 ft | 70 ft |
| 14 | Spider Lake | Chisago | A | 28.5 mi | 6.5 ft | 9 ft |
| 15 | Kroon Lake | Chisago | A | 30.3 mi | 5.9 ft | 30 ft |
| 16 | Piersons Lake | Carver | A | 31 mi | 9.9 ft | 40 ft |
| 17 | South Lindstrom Lake | Chisago | A | 32.2 mi | 5.6 ft | 34 ft |
| 18 | Charlotte Lake | Wright | A | 34.8 mi | 17.1 ft | 46 ft |
| 19 | Big Lake | Sherburne | A | 42 mi | 13.6 ft | 48 ft |
| 20 | Fish Lake | Chisago | A | 43.4 mi | 9.4 ft | 57 ft |
| 21 | Ann Lake | Sherburne | A | 43.8 mi | 11.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 22 | Spectacle Lake | Isanti | A | 45.6 mi | 13.8 ft | 51.5 ft |
| 23 | Ida Lake | Wright | A | 46.5 mi | 13.1 ft | 60 ft |
| 24 | Upper Maple Lake | Wright | A | 46.7 mi | 17.2 ft | 76 ft |
| 25 | Lake St Croix | St. Croix | B | 15.9 mi | 5.6 ft | 60 ft |
| 26 | Lake St Croix | Pierce | B | 18.9 mi | 7.2 ft | 78 ft |
| 27 | Pool | Washington | B | 18.9 mi | 5.9 ft | 78 ft |
| 28 | Big Lake | Polk | B | 35.6 mi | 9 ft | 24 ft |
| 29 | Deer Lake | Polk | B | 41.5 mi | 16 ft | 46 ft |
| 30 | North Twin Lake | Polk | B | 43.2 mi | - | 27 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.