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. Big Carnelian 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 LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 18.6 mi | 15 ft | 66 ft |
| 2 | Square Lake | Washington | A | 19.7 mi | 17 ft | 68 ft |
| 3 | Charlotte Lake | Wright | A | 34.8 mi | 17.1 ft | 46 ft |
| 4 | Deer Lake | Polk | A | 41.5 mi | 16 ft | 46 ft |
| 5 | Big Lake | Sherburne | A | 41.9 mi | 17.5 ft | 48 ft |
| 6 | North Twin Lake | Polk | A | 43.2 mi | - | 27 ft |
| 7 | Pike Lake | Polk | A | 43.6 mi | - | 33 ft |
| 8 | Upper Maple Lake | Wright | A | 46.7 mi | 17.2 ft | 76 ft |
| 9 | Half Moon Lake | Polk | A | 49.4 mi | 15.3 ft | 60 ft |
| 10 | Jane Lake | Washington | A | 9.1 mi | 13 ft | 39 ft |
| 11 | Elmo Lake | Washington | A | 10.2 mi | 11.1 ft | 140 ft |
| 12 | Bush Lake | Hennepin | A | 16.4 mi | 13 ft | 28 ft |
| 13 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 18.4 mi | 14.5 ft | 66 ft |
| 14 | Minnewashta Lake | Carver | A | 25.7 mi | 11.5 ft | 70 ft |
| 15 | White Bear Lake | Washington | A | 9.9 mi | 14.4 ft | 83 ft |
| 16 | Little Long Lake | Hennepin | A | 30.1 mi | 18.7 ft | 45 ft |
| 17 | Piersons Lake | Carver | A | 31 mi | 9.9 ft | 40 ft |
| 18 | Big Lake | Sherburne | A | 42 mi | 13.6 ft | 48 ft |
| 19 | Ann Lake | Sherburne | A | 43.8 mi | 11.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 20 | Spectacle Lake | Isanti | A | 45.6 mi | 13.8 ft | 51.5 ft |
| 21 | Ida Lake | Wright | A | 46.5 mi | 13.1 ft | 60 ft |
| 22 | Fish Lake | Chisago | B | 43.4 mi | 9.4 ft | 57 ft |
| 23 | Snail Lake | Ramsey | B | 8.4 mi | 11 ft | 30 ft |
| 24 | Demontreville Lake | Washington | B | 8.7 mi | 10.2 ft | 24 ft |
| 25 | Otter Lake | Ramsey | B | 12 mi | 11.5 ft | 21 ft |
| 26 | Lower Prior Lake | Scott | B | 22.1 mi | 10 ft | 60 ft |
| 27 | Marion Lake | Dakota | B | 22.3 mi | 7 ft | 21 ft |
| 28 | Riley Lake | Hennepin | B | 22.5 mi | 11.5 ft | 49 ft |
| 29 | Minnetonka Lake | Hennepin | B | 25.4 mi | 10 ft | 113 ft |
| 30 | Cedar Lake | Wright | B | 43.9 mi | 13.6 ft | 47 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.