McCarthy Beach State Park
McCarthy Beach State Park is a state park in Minnesota. It was established in 1945. 8 graded lakes are within 15 miles of the park, including Sturgeon Lake, Side Lake, Perch Lake.
McCarthy Beach State Park is a Minnesota State Park covering an unrecorded acreage acres. State parks are the most heavily-developed of the public-land designations — campground, picnic, boat-launch, interpretive-center. The park is paired with 8 graded lakes nearby — enough for a multi-lake visit. Average grade among them: B.
For visitors planning around water quality, the nearby-lakes list below is the practical tool: a park is only as good as the lake you intend to use it from, and the LakeGrade for that lake gives you the water-clarity, nutrient, and algal-pressure context you need.
Official Resources
Nearby Graded Lakes (within 15 mi)
Lakes closest to McCarthy Beach State Park, weighted by size. Click a lake for its full water quality grade, fish species, and depth.
| Lake | County | Grade | Surface Area | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sturgeon Lake | St. Louis | A | 1,585 acres | 0.5 mi |
| Side Lake | St. Louis | A | 368 acres | 0.5 mi |
| Perch Lake | St. Louis | A | 344 acres | 1.5 mi |
| Little Sturgeon Lake | St. Louis | C | 272 acres | 1.6 mi |
| West Sturgeon Lake | Itasca | B | 117 acres | 2.1 mi |
| South Sturgeon Lake | St. Louis | C | 204 acres | 2.7 mi |
| Beatrice Lake | Itasca | A | 124 acres | 2.7 mi |
| Unnamed Lake | St. Louis | B | - | 2.4 mi |
Other Parks in the Area
- Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area— State Recreation Area, 16.3 mi
- Scenic State Park— State Park, 25.3 mi
- Hill Annex Mine State Park— State Park, 25.8 mi
- Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park— State Park, 38.3 mi
Where to stay near McCarthy Beach State Park
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near McCarthy Beach State Park — find a place to stay close to the park and its nearby lakes.
Top-rated places to stay near McCarthy Beach State Park
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip to McCarthy Beach State Park?
Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near McCarthy Beach State Park — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.