Best Lakes for Boating Near Willmar
Minnesota
19 boating lakes within driving distance of Willmar, Minnesota, 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.
A moderate cluster of 19 graded lakes lies within reach of Willmar, averaging a grade of D. Green Lake (A) is the cleanest of the set.
Filtered for boating, the nearby-lake list narrows further. boating-specific signals — fish species, public access, depth profile, motor-boat congestion — interact with the LakeGrade rubric in different ways depending on the use case.
| # | Lake | County | Grade | Distance | Clarity | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Green Lake | Kandiyohi | A | 11.7 mi | 13.1 ft | - |
| 2 | Cedar Lake | Wright | A | 48.7 mi | 15 ft | - |
| 3 | Big Birch Lake | Todd | B | 47.6 mi | 13 ft | - |
| 4 | Calhoun Lake | Kandiyohi | B | 14.6 mi | 7.3 ft | - |
| 5 | Eagle Lake | Kandiyohi | C | 5 mi | 6.4 ft | - |
| 6 | Nest Lake | Kandiyohi | C | 10.3 mi | 7.3 ft | - |
| 7 | Koronis Lake | Stearns | C | 22.3 mi | 6 ft | - |
| 8 | Grove Lake | Pope | C | 33.9 mi | 5.1 ft | - |
| 9 | Diamond Lake | Kandiyohi | D | 10.6 mi | 5 ft | - |
| 10 | Marlu Lake | Pope | D | 35.7 mi | 3.5 ft | - |
| 11 | Marion Lake | McLeod | D | 39.7 mi | - | - |
| 12 | Cokato Lake | Wright | D | 42.6 mi | 6 ft | - |
| 13 | Curtis Lake | Yellow Medicine | D | 43.5 mi | 4 ft | - |
| 14 | Collinwood Lake | Wright | D | 38.9 mi | 3.9 ft | - |
| 15 | Swartout Lake | Wright | D | 47.8 mi | 5.2 ft | - |
| 16 | Little Kandiyohi Lake | Kandiyohi | F | 6.6 mi | 1 ft | - |
| 17 | Shakopee Lake | Chippewa | F | 21.5 mi | 1 ft | - |
| 18 | Timm Lake | Yellow Medicine | F | 46.6 mi | 2 ft | - |
| 19 | Cottonwood Lake | Lyon | F | 46.7 mi | 1.8 ft | - |
Other activities near Willmar
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.