Best Lakes for Swimming Near St. Paul
Minnesota
30 swimming lakes within driving distance of St. Paul, Minnesota, ranked by water quality and swimming-specific filters. Filtered for grade A or B water quality, low algae (chlorophyll-a under 15 µg/L), and public access. Always check local advisories on the day you swim.
St. Paul sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. Grass Lake (A) leads the cluster.
The swimming-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 swimming use case is less useful than a grade-decent lake that does.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grass Lake | Ramsey | A | 7.4 mi | - | - |
| 2 | Jane Lake | Washington | A | 9.1 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 3 | White Bear Lake | Washington | A | 9.9 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 4 | Little Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 18.3 mi | 21 ft | - |
| 5 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | A | 18.6 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 6 | Square Lake | Washington | A | 19.7 mi | 17 ft | - |
| 7 | Krenz Lake | Scott | A | 20.6 mi | 16.2 ft | - |
| 8 | Courthouse Lake | Carver | A | 27 mi | 20 ft | - |
| 9 | Brickyard Lake | Carver | A | 27.3 mi | 15.1 ft | - |
| 10 | Holland Lake | Dakota | A | 11.7 mi | 27.9 ft | - |
| 11 | Big Marine Lake | Washington | A | 20.7 mi | 11.5 ft | - |
| 12 | Netta Lake | Anoka | A | 22.8 mi | 11.3 ft | - |
| 13 | Bass Lake | St. Croix | A | 23.1 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 14 | O'Brien Lake | Dakota | B | 12.3 mi | 19.7 ft | - |
| 15 | Loeb Lake | Ramsey | B | 2.2 mi | 11.2 ft | - |
| 16 | Mccarron Lake | Ramsey | B | 3.3 mi | 11.5 ft | - |
| 17 | Sunfish Lake | Dakota | B | 5.4 mi | 11.5 ft | - |
| 18 | Beam Pond | Ramsey | B | 5.8 mi | - | - |
| 19 | East Vadnais Lake | Ramsey | B | 7.1 mi | - | - |
| 20 | Snail Lake | Ramsey | B | 8.4 mi | 11 ft | - |
| 21 | Elmo Lake | Washington | B | 10.2 mi | 11.2 ft | - |
| 22 | Schultz Lake | Dakota | B | 11.8 mi | 8.5 ft | - |
| 23 | Otter Lake | Ramsey | B | 12 mi | 11.7 ft | - |
| 24 | Laddie Lake | Anoka | B | 13.9 mi | - | - |
| 25 | Bush Lake | Hennepin | B | 16.3 mi | 14 ft | - |
| 26 | Lac Lavon Lake | Dakota | B | 17.8 mi | 12.8 ft | - |
| 27 | Big Carnelian Lake | Washington | B | 18.4 mi | 14.5 ft | - |
| 28 | Pomerleau Lake | Hennepin | B | 19.6 mi | 10.3 ft | - |
| 29 | Deans Lake | Scott | B | 21.4 mi | - | - |
| 30 | Riley Lake | Hennepin | B | 22.5 mi | 12.6 ft | - |
Other activities near St. Paul
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.