Best Lakes for Boating Near St. Paul
Minnesota
6 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.
A moderate cluster of 6 graded lakes lies within reach of St. Paul, averaging a grade of B. South Twin Lake (A) is the cleanest of the set.
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 | South Twin Lake | Polk | A | 42.8 mi | - | - |
| 2 | North Twin Lake | Polk | A | 43.2 mi | - | - |
| 3 | Elmo Lake | Washington | B | 10.2 mi | 11.2 ft | - |
| 4 | Riley Lake | Hennepin | B | 22.5 mi | 12.6 ft | - |
| 5 | Lower Prior Lake | Scott | B | 22.1 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
| 6 | Nugget Lake | Pierce | B | 47.7 mi | 7.5 ft | - |
Other activities near St. Paul
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.