Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Wausau
Wisconsin
30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Wausau, Wisconsin, 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).
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.
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 | Lake Helen | Portage | A | 30.2 mi | - | 20 ft |
| 2 | Lake Buteau | Lincoln | A | 34.1 mi | 19.4 ft | 50 ft |
| 3 | Greater Bass Lake | Langlade | A | 34.7 mi | - | 25 ft |
| 4 | Rinehart Lake | Portage | A | 35.2 mi | 19 ft | 27 ft |
| 5 | Thomas Lake | Portage | A | 35.6 mi | 15 ft | 28 ft |
| 6 | Brekke Lake | Waupaca | A | 38.5 mi | - | 25 ft |
| 7 | Clear Lake | Lincoln | A | 40 mi | 18 ft | 45 ft |
| 8 | Bass Lake | Lincoln | A | 33.2 mi | 12.5 ft | 40 ft |
| 9 | Long Lake | Lincoln | A | 33.3 mi | 14.5 ft | 64 ft |
| 10 | Seven Island Lake | Lincoln | A | 33.3 mi | 14 ft | 31 ft |
| 11 | Sunset Lake | Portage | A | 33.5 mi | 13.3 ft | 55 ft |
| 12 | Onland Lake | Portage | A | 34.9 mi | 10.5 ft | 28 ft |
| 13 | Nutrient Sampling Point Lake | Waupaca | A | 36.1 mi | 14.5 ft | 33 ft |
| 14 | North Lake | Waupaca | A | 36.3 mi | 12.5 ft | 33 ft |
| 15 | Lake Emily | Portage | A | 36.7 mi | 11 ft | 35 ft |
| 16 | Iola Lake | Waupaca | A | 39.3 mi | 10 ft | - |
| 17 | Glisezinski Lake | Portage | B | 22.2 mi | 9 ft | 11 ft |
| 18 | Moose Lake | Langlade | B | 29.5 mi | 10 ft | 20 ft |
| 19 | Lake Helen | Portage | B | 30.4 mi | 7.5 ft | 20 ft |
| 20 | Lower Clear Lake | Langlade | B | 32.2 mi | 12 ft | 21 ft |
| 21 | Pickerel Lake | Lincoln | B | 33.5 mi | - | 14 ft |
| 22 | Muellers Lake | Langlade | B | 34.4 mi | 11 ft | 34 ft |
| 23 | Hatch Lake | Waupaca | B | 38.9 mi | 8.4 ft | 12 ft |
| 24 | Halfmoon Lake | Lincoln | B | 39.1 mi | 7.1 ft | 14 ft |
| 25 | Lake Lime | Portage | B | 39.7 mi | 10.8 ft | 29 ft |
| 26 | Hilts Lake | Lincoln | B | 39.9 mi | 14 ft | 64 ft |
| 27 | Lake Pesobic | Lincoln | B | 17.6 mi | 7 ft | 11 ft |
| 28 | Big Bass Lake | Marathon | B | 19 mi | 6 ft | 13 ft |
| 29 | Tree Lake | Portage | B | 26.4 mi | 7.4 ft | 33 ft |
| 30 | Pike Lake | Marathon | C | 17.1 mi | 5 ft | 34 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.