Best Lakes for Kayaking Near St. Paul
Minnesota
9 kayaking lakes within driving distance of St. Paul, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for grade A, B, or C water quality, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).
A moderate cluster of 9 graded lakes lies within reach of St. Paul, averaging a grade of C. Elmo Lake (B) is the cleanest of the set.
The kayaking-specific ranking layered on top of the LakeGrade rubric is what produces the list below: a grade-good lake that does not also support the kayaking use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elmo Lake | Washington | B | 10.2 mi | 11.2 ft | - |
| 2 | Riley Lake | Hennepin | B | 22.5 mi | 12.6 ft | - |
| 3 | Phalen Lake | Ramsey | B | 3.2 mi | 9.8 ft | - |
| 4 | Lower Prior Lake | Scott | B | 22.1 mi | 9.5 ft | - |
| 5 | Round Lake | Ramsey | C | 3.1 mi | 8.2 ft | - |
| 6 | Keller Lake | Ramsey | C | 4.1 mi | 4.3 ft | - |
| 7 | Bald Eagle Lake | Ramsey | C | 11.6 mi | 5.9 ft | - |
| 8 | Normandale Lake | Hennepin | C | 14.8 mi | 3.5 ft | - |
| 9 | Silver Lake | Hennepin | C | 22.1 mi | 5.6 ft | - |
Other activities near St. Paul
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.