Updated August 2026

Best beaches in Minnesota by water quality

Minnesota has 93 public beaches in the EPA monitoring dataset, 52 of them with enough bacteria samples to grade. 24 earn an A for consistently clean water, while 3 grade an F for frequently exceeding the safe-swimming limit. Full ranking below. National lists: cleanest beaches in the US and beaches that exceed bacteria limits most often.

Minnesota beaches on the map

Ways to pick a Minnesota beach

Cleanest water (Grade A)

Grand Marais Campground Beach — Cook
Flood Bay Beach — Lake
Red Rock Beach — Cook
Temperance River State Park Beach — Cook

A 24

B 16

C 2

D 7

F 3

Grade	Beach	County	% over limit	Samples	Advisory
A	Grand Marais Campground Beach	Cook	0%	87	Excellent
A	Flood Bay Beach	Lake	0%	83	Excellent
A	Red Rock Beach	Cook	0%	70	Excellent
A	Temperance River State Park Beach	Cook	0%	62	Excellent
A	Schroeder Town Park Beach	Cook	0%	57	Excellent
A	Chicago Bay Boat Launch Beach	Cook	0%	54	Excellent
A	Ray Berglund Wayside Rest Beach	Cook	0%	45	Excellent
A	Paradise Beach	Cook	0%	39	Excellent
A	Cutface Creek Wayside Rest Beach	Cook	0%	33	Excellent
A	Colville Creek Beach	Cook	0%	32	Excellent
A	Split Rock Lighthouse State Park / Corundum Point Beach	Lake	0%	27	Excellent
A	Gooseberry Falls State Park Beach	Lake	1.6%	62	Excellent
A	Durfee Creek Area Beach	Cook	1.7%	59	Excellent
A	Park Point Lafayette Community Club Beach	St. Louis	1.8%	111	Excellent
A	Brighton Beach	St. Louis	1.9%	105	Excellent
A	Grand Portage Beach 6	Cook	2.1%	191	Excellent
A	Reservation River Beach	Cook	2.3%	88	Excellent
A	Kadunce Creek Beach	Cook	2.4%	82	Excellent
A	Sugarloaf Cove Beach	Cook	2.6%	39	Excellent
A	Black Beach	Lake	2.6%	38	Excellent
A	Tettegouche State Park Beach	Lake	2.7%	75	Excellent
A	Stony Point Beach	St. Louis	2.8%	36	Excellent
A	Hollow Rock Resort Beach	Cook	2.9%	70	Excellent
A	Grand Portage Beach 2.5	Cook	2.9%	70	Excellent
B	Manitou River Beach	Lake	3.1%	32	Good
B	Park Point Sky Harbor Parking Lot Beac	St. Louis	3.4%	232	Good
B	42nd Avenue East Beach	St. Louis	3.4%	59	Good
B	Grand Portage Beach 2	Cook	4.2%	240	Good
B	Gpbay4	Cook	4.2%	240	Good
B	Grand Portage Beach 7	Cook	4.2%	71	Good
B	Split Rock River Beach	Lake	4.5%	66	Good
B	Grand Marais Downtown Beach	Cook	4.8%	83	Good
B	Minnesota Point Harbor Side / 15th Street Beach	St. Louis	4.9%	344	Good
B	Old Shore Road Beach Area	Cook	5%	60	Good
B	Grand Portage Beach 1.5	Cook	5.7%	70	Good
B	Knife River Marina Beach	Lake	6%	67	Good
B	Lakewalk East / 16th Avenue East Beach	St. Louis	6.5%	62	Good
B	Croftville Beach	Cook	6.7%	30	Good
B	Bluebird Landing Beach	St. Louis	6.9%	58	Good
B	Lakewalk Beach	St. Louis	7%	115	Good
C	French River Beach	St. Louis	8%	50	Fair
C	Twin Points Public Access Beach	Lake	10%	60	Fair
D	Grand Portage Beach 1	Cook	12.4%	170	Poor
D	Leif Erikson Park Beach	St. Louis	13.8%	167	Poor
D	Lester River Beach	St. Louis	14.1%	142	Poor
D	Agate Bay Beach	Lake	14.3%	70	Poor
D	Stewart River Beach	Lake	16.3%	43	Poor
D	Clyde Avenue Boat Landing Beach	St. Louis	17.2%	64	Poor
D	Boy Scout Landing Beach	St. Louis	20.2%	124	Poor
F	Two Harbors City Park Beach	Lake	26%	77	Failing
F	Morgan Park Beach	St. Louis	30%	20	Failing
F	Lakewalk East / 26th Avenue East Beach	St. Louis	61.8%	34	Failing

CSV

Download the full Minnesota beach safety ranking

All 52 graded Minnesota beaches with their Beach Safety Grade, exceedance rate, sample counts, and program status — from EPA monitoring data. Enter your email to download. A grade is a multi-year classification, not a same-day safety clearance.

Minnesota beach grade updates

Get new grades and water-quality updates for Minnesota beaches by email.

Where to stay near Minnesota beaches

Find beachfront hotels, condos, and vacation rentals across Minnesota — live availability and prices.

Top-rated places to stay near Minnesota beaches

Prices for Oct 2–4, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Watch Minnesota beach grades

Get an email when a graded Minnesota beach posts a new sample or swim advisory.

Frequently Asked Questions

The table ranks Minnesota beaches by Beach Safety Grade from EPA bacteria samples. Grade A beaches have the fewest exceedances of the safe-swimming limit.

Hotels, condos, and vacation rentals for Minnesota beaches are on the map on this page. Compare water quality in the table, then book from the town you actually want to swim from.

Minnesota beaches vary. Of 52 graded beaches, 24 earn an A for the fewest bacteria exceedances and 3 earn an F for exceeding the safe-swimming limit most often. A grade is a multi-year record, not a same-day clearance — check the county advisory the day you swim.

The day you swim. A grade is a history of samples, not a same-day clearance — check the county advisory before you get in.