Best Lakes for Kayaking Near Willmar
Minnesota
30 kayaking lakes within driving distance of Willmar, Minnesota, 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).
Willmar sits in a lake-rich part of the upper Midwest: 30 graded lakes within reach, average grade B. George Lake (A) leads the cluster.
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 | George Lake | Kandiyohi | A | 8.9 mi | 15 ft | 34 ft |
| 2 | Big Fish Lake | Stearns | A | 38.9 mi | 20 ft | 70 ft |
| 3 | Elkhorn Lake | Kandiyohi | A | 7.8 mi | 14 ft | 41 ft |
| 4 | Henderson Lake | Kandiyohi | A | 7.9 mi | 13.5 ft | 57 ft |
| 5 | Long Lake | Kandiyohi | A | 16.6 mi | 10.5 ft | 46 ft |
| 6 | Minnie-Belle Lake | Meeker | A | 25.9 mi | 14.4 ft | 49 ft |
| 7 | Signalness Lake | Pope | A | 37.1 mi | 10.7 ft | 14 ft |
| 8 | Moose Lake | Wright | A | 40 mi | 14.4 ft | 43 ft |
| 9 | Florida Lake | Kandiyohi | B | 9.1 mi | 12.3 ft | 40 ft |
| 10 | Crow River Mill Pond | Kandiyohi | B | 13.1 mi | 10.2 ft | 14 ft |
| 11 | Manuella Lake | Meeker | B | 29.4 mi | 10 ft | 51 ft |
| 12 | Linka Lake | Pope | B | 30 mi | 10.2 ft | 50 ft |
| 13 | Erie Lake | Meeker | B | 31.3 mi | - | 34 ft |
| 14 | Black Oak Lake | Stearns | B | 36.7 mi | 10 ft | 19 ft |
| 15 | Long Lake | Stearns | B | 39.1 mi | 14 ft | 46 ft |
| 16 | School Section Lake | Stearns | B | 40 mi | 9.8 ft | 14 ft |
| 17 | Eagle Lake | Kandiyohi | B | 5 mi | 6.9 ft | 67 ft |
| 18 | Crow R Mill Pond | Kandiyohi | B | 13.4 mi | 7 ft | 14 ft |
| 19 | Calhoun Lake | Kandiyohi | B | 14.6 mi | 6.9 ft | 13 ft |
| 20 | Scandinavian Lake | Pope | B | 27.1 mi | 8 ft | 49 ft |
| 21 | Big Lake | Stearns | B | 31.1 mi | 6.9 ft | 42 ft |
| 22 | Nest Lake | Kandiyohi | C | 10.3 mi | 7 ft | 40 ft |
| 23 | Carrie Lake | Kandiyohi | C | 12.8 mi | 4.5 ft | 26 ft |
| 24 | Andrew Lake | Kandiyohi | C | 13 mi | 9 ft | 26 ft |
| 25 | Koronis Lake | Stearns | C | 22.3 mi | 6 ft | 132 ft |
| 26 | Stella Lake | Meeker | C | 30.6 mi | 7.5 ft | 75 ft |
| 27 | Little Mud Lake | Meeker | C | 31.7 mi | 5.9 ft | 42 ft |
| 28 | Grove Lake | Pope | C | 33.9 mi | 5.1 ft | 31 ft |
| 29 | Long Lake | Meeker | C | 36.3 mi | 7.5 ft | 28 ft |
| 30 | Francis Lake | Meeker | C | 38.6 mi | 6.5 ft | 17 ft |
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.