What is the clearest lake close to the Twin Cities?

Square Lake in Washington County, north of Stillwater, is well known locally for clear water and has a county park beach. Lake Elmo, also in Washington County, is small but 140 feet deep and clear as well. Both are under an hour from most of the metro.

What is the best lake day trip from Minneapolis for swimming?

For a short drive, Square Lake or Lake Elmo Park Reserve in Washington County. For a full day, the sandy state park beaches at Mille Lacs or Lake Carlos, or a clear mine lake at Cuyuna if your group is made up of strong swimmers. Check for beach closures before leaving.

How long does it take to drive to Mille Lacs from the Twin Cities?

The south shore near Onamia and Isle is roughly an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes from downtown Minneapolis in normal traffic. Friday afternoon and Sunday evening traffic on Highway 169 can add considerably to that.

Can I do Brainerd or Duluth as a day trip?

Yes, both are a little over two hours each way, and plenty of people do it. It makes for a long day, so leave early, pick one lake rather than several, and avoid returning late on a summer Sunday when southbound traffic is heaviest.

Do I need a permit to visit a lake in a Minnesota state park for the day?

Yes. Any vehicle entering a state park needs a permit, which costs $7 for one day or $35 for a year in 2026. The annual permit is good for 12 months from purchase and covers every state park and recreation area.

Lake Day Trips From the Twin Cities, Sorted by Drive Time

If you have one day and a tank of gas, the best return on driving is the 30 to 60 minute band: Square Lake, Big Marine, Waconia and the Chisago chain are noticeably less crowded than the city lakes and need no planning. Go farther and you get bigger water, Mille Lacs and Pepin at up to two hours, then Brainerd, Alexandria and Duluth at the edge of what is reasonable in a day.

Drive times here are approximate, measured from the downtown core in ordinary traffic; your side of the metro can shift a lake by a full band. Lake sizes are from Minnesota DNR data, verified in 2026.

The table

Drive time	Lake	Where	Size	Best for
Under 30 min	Harriet, Bde Maka Ska, Cedar, Nokomis	Minneapolis	164-424 acres	Beaches, paddling, walking
Under 30 min	Phalen	St. Paul	198 acres	Guarded beach, paddling
Under 30 min	Medicine	Plymouth	924 acres	Regional park beach, fishing
Under 30 min	White Bear	White Bear Lake	2,428 acres	Boating, sailing, beaches
Under 30 min	Minnetonka (east bays)	Wayzata, Excelsior	14,206 acres	Boating, lakeside towns
30-60 min	Lake Elmo	Lake Elmo	257 acres	Clear, deep water; park reserve
30-60 min	Square	North of Stillwater	203 acres	Clear-water swimming
30-60 min	Big Marine	Scandia area	1,799 acres	Park reserve beach, fishing
30-60 min	Forest	Forest Lake	2,271 acres	Boating, bass and muskie
30-60 min	Chisago and Green	Chisago City, Lindstrom	944 and 1,809 acres	Small-town chain, panfish
30-60 min	Waconia	Waconia	3,080 acres	Walleye, muskie, island park
30-60 min	Independence	Maple Plain	832 acres	Baker Park beach and camping
30-60 min	Lake St. Croix	Stillwater to Afton	8,393 acres	River-lake boating, bluffs
1-2 hours	Clearwater	Annandale	3,187 acres	Boating, bass, walleye
1-2 hours	Pepin	Lake City	12,299 acres	Sailing, bluff scenery
1-2 hours	Pokegama	Pine City	1,521 acres	Easy I-35 fishing stop
1-2 hours	Mille Lacs	Onamia, Isle, Garrison	128,250 acres	Walleye launch trips, beaches
1-2 hours	Green	Spicer	5,569 acres	Clear water, sand, walleye
2-3 hours	Osakis	Osakis	6,389 acres	Walleye and panfish
2-3 hours	Carlos and the Alexandria chain	Alexandria	2,605 acres (Carlos)	State park beach, boating
2-3 hours	Gull	Nisswa	10,010 acres	Resorts, boating
2-3 hours	Cuyuna mine lakes	Crosby	Small, very deep	Paddling, clarity
2-3 hours	Lake Superior	Duluth	Inland sea	Shoreline, ships, cold dips

Under 30 minutes

The city lakes are covered in detail in our guide to the best lakes near Minneapolis and St. Paul. The short version is that Harriet is the best all-rounder, Cedar the quietest swim and Phalen the pick in St. Paul.

Medicine Lake in Plymouth is the largest lake close in on the west side and has a Three Rivers regional park with a beach and boat launch. White Bear and the east end of Minnetonka are close enough for an after-work boat ride from much of the metro, though getting to Minnetonka's western bays pushes past half an hour.

The trade-off in this band is people. Parking fills by late morning on a hot Saturday, and launch ramps on Minnetonka and White Bear back up.

30 to 60 minutes

This is where a day trip starts to feel like leaving town.

Square Lake is the clear-water swim. It is small, spring-fed in character and popular with scuba divers as well as swimmers. Washington County runs the park and beach, and charges a vehicle fee.
Lake Elmo is only 257 acres but 140 feet deep. Lake Elmo Park Reserve surrounds part of it with trails and a separate swimming facility.
Big Marine has a newer county park reserve with a beach and a good launch, and enough acreage that it does not feel pinched.
Lake Waconia, at about 3,100 acres, is one of the largest lakes in the metro after Minnetonka. It fishes well for walleye (16-inch minimum in 2026) and muskellunge, and Coney Island of the West, a county park on an island, is reachable only by boat.
Lake Independence has Baker Park Reserve, with a large beach, rentals and a 203-site campground that books 120 days ahead through Three Rivers.
The Chisago chain (Chisago, Green, North Center, South Lindstrom) offers bluegill and bass fishing with small-town main streets a block from the water.
Lake St. Croix at Stillwater, Bayport or Afton State Park is the choice for scenery. It is border water with Wisconsin, with its own fishing rules.

One to two hours

Mille Lacs is the headline. Father Hennepin State Park near Isle has a long sand beach and is the simplest day-use stop; Mille Lacs Kathio is the larger, wooded park at the lake's outlet. To fish without your own boat, book a half-day launch out of one of the resorts. Read the current regulations first, since Mille Lacs rules are set annually. In 2026 the walleye limit from May 9 was three fish over 17 inches with one over 20, and there was a nighttime fishing closure through August.

Lake Pepin is a natural widening of the Mississippi below Red Wing, about 12,300 acres between tall wooded bluffs. Lake City has a marina and public waterfront, and Frontenac State Park gives the high view. It is a sailing lake and a walleye and sauger fishery, with river current and commercial barge traffic to respect.

Annandale and the Wright County lakes (Clearwater, Sylvia, Pulaski, Buffalo) are an hour northwest and make an easy boating day. Green Lake at Spicer, around two hours west, is a big, clear, sandy-bottomed lake with public beaches. Pokegama at Pine City is the quick stop off I-35.

Two to three hours

These are real commitments. Leave by 7 a.m.

Alexandria and Osakis: straight up I-94. Lake Carlos State Park is the easiest target, with a beach and launch. Details in the Alexandria lakes guide.
Brainerd Lakes: Gull Lake and Nisswa for a boat rental and lunch, or the Cuyuna mine lakes at Crosby for paddling in startlingly clear water. See the Brainerd guide.
Duluth: Park Point, Canal Park and the first North Shore state parks. The lake will be cold in any month. See lakes near Duluth.

Southbound traffic on Highway 169, Highway 10 and I-35 is heavy on summer Sunday afternoons. Either head home by early afternoon or stay for dinner and drive late.

Practical notes

Fees. State parks: $7 daily or $35 annual vehicle permit in 2026, per the Minnesota DNR. County park reserves in Washington, Carver and other counties generally charge their own daily or annual vehicle fee. City beaches are usually free.
Water quality. Shallow metro lakes are more prone to algae in August. Check for advisories and read our guide to blue-green algae.
Boats. Zebra mussels are in Minnetonka, White Bear, Mille Lacs and many others. Drain everything and pull the plug before leaving the landing; it is the law.
Packing. See what to pack for a lake day.

Bottom line

Best effort-to-reward ratio: Square Lake, Big Marine or Waconia, all under an hour.
Best full-day trip: Mille Lacs or Lake Pepin, with a state park as your base.
For anything over two hours, pick one lake and leave early. Use lakes near me or the trip planner to find options from your side of the metro.