What is the best kayaking lake near St. Paul?

Rogers Lake in Dakota County is the top-ranked kayaking lake near St. Paul on measured water quality (6.2 miles away).

How many lakes are near St. Paul for kayaking?

30 lakes within driving distance of St. Paul match the kayaking filters used on this page.

Best Lakes for Kayaking Near St. Paul, MN

30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of St. Paul, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and kayaking-specific filters. Filtered for favourable clarity and algae readings, public access, and ideal paddling size (30-3,000 acres).

Within reasonable driving distance of St. Paul sit 30 measured lakes, a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend.

The kayaking-specific ranking layered on top of the readings is what produces the list below: a lake with clean readings that does not also support the kayaking use case is less useful than a decent one that does.

#	Lake	County	Distance	Clarity	Depth
1	Rogers Lake	Dakota	6.2 mi	6.6 ft	8 ft
2	Snail Lake	Ramsey	8.4 mi	11 ft	30 ft
3	Jane Lake	Washington	9.1 mi	13 ft	39 ft
4	White Bear Lake	Washington	9.9 mi	14.4 ft	83 ft
5	Turtle Lake	Ramsey	10.1 mi	7.5 ft	28 ft
6	Elmo Lake	Washington	10.2 mi	11.1 ft	140 ft
7	Otter Lake	Ramsey	12 mi	11.5 ft	21 ft
8	Lily Lake	Washington	14.6 mi	10.5 ft	51 ft
9	Bush Lake	Hennepin	16.4 mi	13 ft	28 ft
10	Lac Lavon Lake	Dakota	17.8 mi	12.1 ft	32 ft
11	Big Carnelian Lake	Washington	18.4 mi	14.5 ft	66 ft
12	Square Lake	Washington	19.7 mi	17 ft	68 ft
13	Marion Lake	Dakota	22.3 mi	7 ft	21 ft
14	Halfbreed Lake	Washington	22.5 mi	5.2 ft	34 ft
15	Riley Lake	Hennepin	22.5 mi	11.5 ft	49 ft
16	Minnewashta Lake	Carver	25.7 mi	11.5 ft	70 ft
17	Spider Lake	Chisago	28.5 mi	6.5 ft	9 ft
18	Kroon Lake	Chisago	30.3 mi	5.9 ft	30 ft
19	Piersons Lake	Carver	31 mi	9.9 ft	40 ft
20	South Lindstrom Lake	Chisago	32.2 mi	5.6 ft	34 ft
21	East Twin Lake	Anoka	33.1 mi	10.7 ft	68 ft
22	Charlotte Lake	Wright	34.8 mi	17.1 ft	46 ft
23	West Hunter Lake	Sherburne	39.2 mi	10.2 ft	6 ft
24	Pine Lake	Polk	33 mi	13 ft	34 ft
25	Church Pine Lake	Polk	35.2 mi	13 ft	45 ft
26	Wind Lake	Polk	35.4 mi	10 ft	7 ft
27	Big Lake	Polk	35.6 mi	9 ft	24 ft
28	Mccarron Lake	Ramsey	3.3 mi	11.5 ft	57 ft
29	Tanners Lake	Washington	5.3 mi	6.6 ft	46 ft
30	Owasso Lake	Ramsey	6.1 mi	7.4 ft	37 ft

Other activities near St. Paul

Swimming near St. Paul →Fishing near St. Paul →Boating near St. Paul →All lakes near St. Paul →

Where to stay near St. Paul

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near St. Paul — book a place close to the best-rated lakes in the area.

Top-rated places to stay near St. Paul

Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Planning a trip to St. Paul?

Get lake water-quality updates plus the best cabin & lodging deals near St. Paul — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.