Best Lakes for Boating Near Wausau
Wisconsin
30 boating lakes within driving distance of Wausau, Wisconsin, 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.
Within reasonable driving distance of Wausau sit 30 graded lakes — a lake-dense area that gives residents real choice on any given weekend. The average grade across the nearby set is B.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the letter grade in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Pesobic | Lincoln | B | 17.6 mi | 7 ft | 11 ft |
| 2 | Big Bass Lake | Marathon | B | 19 mi | 6 ft | 13 ft |
| 3 | Moose Lake | Langlade | B | 29.5 mi | 10 ft | 20 ft |
| 4 | Bass Lake | Lincoln | B | 33.2 mi | 12.5 ft | 40 ft |
| 5 | Long Lake | Lincoln | B | 33.3 mi | 14.5 ft | 64 ft |
| 6 | Seven Island Lake | Lincoln | B | 33.3 mi | 14 ft | 31 ft |
| 7 | Lake Emily | Portage | B | 36.7 mi | 11 ft | 35 ft |
| 8 | Hatch Lake | Waupaca | B | 38.9 mi | 8.4 ft | 12 ft |
| 9 | Halfmoon Lake | Lincoln | B | 39.1 mi | 7.1 ft | 14 ft |
| 10 | Iola Lake | Waupaca | B | 39.3 mi | 10 ft | 9 ft |
| 11 | Clear Lake | Lincoln | B | 40 mi | 18 ft | 45 ft |
| 12 | Manson Lake | Oneida | B | 41.6 mi | 12 ft | 54 ft |
| 13 | Nepco Lake | Wood | B | 43.9 mi | 10.5 ft | 29 ft |
| 14 | Squash Lake | Oneida | B | 44.2 mi | 17.5 ft | 74 ft |
| 15 | Oscar Jenny Lake | Oneida | B | 45.9 mi | 8.9 ft | 24 ft |
| 16 | Pickerel Lake | Forest | B | 46.1 mi | 10 ft | 19 ft |
| 17 | Lake Julia | Oneida | B | 46.2 mi | 9.9 ft | 19 ft |
| 18 | Oneida Lake | Oneida | B | 46.4 mi | 5.5 ft | 34 ft |
| 19 | Sawyer Lake | Langlade | B | 47.1 mi | 10 ft | 31 ft |
| 20 | George Lake | Oneida | B | 47.2 mi | 5 ft | 26 ft |
| 21 | Crane Lake | Forest | B | 47.7 mi | 7 ft | 25 ft |
| 22 | Arbutus Lake | Forest | B | 48.5 mi | 16 ft | 28 ft |
| 23 | Lake Thompson | Oneida | B | 48.7 mi | 4 ft | 30 ft |
| 24 | Long Lake | Waupaca | B | 49.1 mi | 13 ft | 76 ft |
| 25 | Flannery Lake | Oneida | B | 49.2 mi | 14.5 ft | 35 ft |
| 26 | Little Sand Lake | Forest | B | 49.4 mi | 8 ft | 20 ft |
| 27 | St. Johns Lake | Forest | B | 49.4 mi | 10 ft | 21 ft |
| 28 | Bass Lake | Oneida | B | 49.5 mi | 6 ft | 20 ft |
| 29 | Mildred Lake | Oneida | B | 49.8 mi | 18 ft | 45 ft |
| 30 | Pike Lake | Marathon | C | 17.1 mi | 5 ft | 34 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.