All-Sports Lakes Closest to Grand Rapids

40 lakes

Data computed August 2, 2026 · Covers Kent, Ottawa, Allegan, Newaygo, Muskegon, Montcalm, Lake and Osceola counties

These are the lakes closest to downtown Grand Rapids with no Michigan DNR watercraft restriction on file for their open water, which is what makes skiing, tubing and a wake boat legal. Ranked by straight-line distance from downtown, closest first.

“All-sports lake” is not a legal designation in Michigan. The state keeps no list of them and designates nothing. Motorised use is the default on public water, and a lake becomes restricted only where a local watercraft control has been adopted under Part 801 of the state’s natural resources act (MCL 324.80110) — as a rule numbered R 281.7xx or an order numbered WC-xx. Several sites describe all-sports as an official status. It is not one.

So rather than assume, this list reads the DNR’s own control register for every county it covers, and includes a lake only when that register carries no whole-water restriction for it. Where a lake does appear — a slow-no-wake order, an electric-motor-only rule, a ban on high-speed boating — it is left off. Rules that cover only a channel or canal, or that lift outside posted hours, do not disqualify a lake, because its open water stays open. Register last read 2026-08-05.

How we ranked: Includes lakes whose county watercraft-control register has been read and carries no whole-water restriction for the lake — no slow-no-wake order, no electric-only rule, no ban on high-speed boating. Channel-only and posted-hours rules do not exclude a lake. Ranked by straight-line distance from downtown Grand Rapids. Register read 2026-08-05; local ordinances outside the state register can still apply.

← All West Michigan lakes

  1. Fisk Lake
    #12 mi from GR

    Fisk Lake

  2. #23 mi from GR

    Battjes Lake

  3. West Lake
    #33 mi from GR

    West Lake

  4. Mid Lake
    #43 mi from GR

    Mid Lake

  5. Reeds Lake
    #54 mi from GR

    Reeds Lake

  6. Church Lake
    #64 mi from GR

    Church Lake

  7. Hidden Lake (Grand Rapids Charter Twp)
    #74 mi from GR

    Hidden Lake (Grand Rapids Charter Twp)

  8. Shadow Lake
    #84 mi from GR

    Shadow Lake

  9. Soft Water Lake
    #94 mi from GR

    Soft Water Lake

  10. Twin Lake
    #104 mi from GR

    Twin Lake

  11. Lamar Lake
    #114 mi from GR

    Lamar Lake

  12. #124 mi from GR

    Twin Lakes

  13. #134 mi from GR

    Luvis Lake

  14. Lamberton Lake
    #145 mi from GR

    Lamberton Lake

  15. Emerald Lake
    #155 mi from GR

    Emerald Lake

  16. Porter Lake
    #165 mi from GR

    Porter Lake

  17. Echo Lake (Grand Rapids Charter Twp)
    #175 mi from GR

    Echo Lake (Grand Rapids Charter Twp)

  18. Perch Lake (Grand Rapids Charter Twp)
    #185 mi from GR

    Perch Lake (Grand Rapids Charter Twp)

  19. East Lake
    #195 mi from GR

    East Lake

  20. #205 mi from GR

    Mason Lake

  21. Dean Lake
    #216 mi from GR

    Dean Lake

  22. #226 mi from GR

    Lake Eastbrook Lake

  23. Fennessy Lake
    #236 mi from GR

    Fennessy Lake

  24. #246 mi from GR

    Stafford Lake

  25. The Big Spring
    #256 mi from GR

    The Big Spring

  26. #266 mi from GR

    Dunlop Lake

  27. Paradise Lake
    #277 mi from GR

    Paradise Lake

  28. Kenowa Lake
    #288 mi from GR

    Kenowa Lake

  29. Wood Lake (Cascade Charter Twp)
    #298 mi from GR

    Wood Lake (Cascade Charter Twp)

  30. #308 mi from GR

    Georgetown Park Lake

  31. Maplewood Lake
    #318 mi from GR

    Maplewood Lake

  32. Rushmore Lake
    #328 mi from GR

    Rushmore Lake

  33. Laraway Lake
    #338 mi from GR

    Laraway Lake

  34. Scott Lake
    #349 mi from GR

    Scott Lake

  35. Little Pine Island Lake
    #359 mi from GR

    Little Pine Island Lake

  36. #369 mi from GR

    Chandler Lake

  37. Cedar Lake
    #379 mi from GR

    Cedar Lake

  38. Mead Lake
    #389 mi from GR

    Mead Lake

  39. Mud Lake (Plainfield Charter Twp)
    #399 mi from GR

    Mud Lake (Plainfield Charter Twp)

  40. Freska Lake
    #4010 mi from GR

    Freska Lake

All-Sports Lakes Closest to Grand Rapids: Frequently Asked

How many lakes are on this list?
We rank 40 West Michigan lakes here. Includes lakes whose county watercraft-control register has been read and carries no whole-water restriction for the lake — no slow-no-wake order, no electric-only rule, no ban on high-speed boating. Channel-only and posted-hours rules do not exclude a lake. Ranked by straight-line distance from downtown Grand Rapids. Register read 2026-08-05; local ordinances outside the state register can still apply.
Which lakes rank highest?
Fisk Lake, Battjes Lake, West Lake lead the list. Fisk Lake ranks #1 (2 mi from GR).
What do lakefront homes cost on these lakes?
Across the 40 lakes on this list, the typical lakefront home value is about $583,713, though prices vary widely by lake and frontage.

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