Boat Clubs in Delavan, WI

June through September is generally the best time to boat on Delavan Lake. District records from 2023 and 2024 show monthly water temperatures ranging from the upper 60s into the 80s during that period, while May was cooler. The Town of Delavan posts spring and summer launch hours at Community Park from April 1 through October 31.

Spring timing varies with ice-out, which occurred on March 10, 2023, February 27, 2024, and March 14, 2025. When choosing a summer day, be cautious after heavy rain and during hot, humid spells because the sanitary district says those conditions can increase plant growth and favor algae blooms.

Source: Town of Delavan (townofdelavan.com)

From Delavan, point a rented powerboat onto Delavan Lake from the Town of Delavan Community Park launch; choose Lake Comus for a separate canoe or small boat outing. Delavan Lake’s main basin is the open water choice, while the west bay areas, the Inlet and the Outlet are designated slow no wake waters suited to an unhurried cruise. Community Park’s ramp can launch four boats at once. Lake Comus, beside the Paul Lange Arboretum, is promoted by the city for fishing, canoeing and boating and offers a scenic alternative.

Source: Town of Delavan (townofdelavan.com)

On Delavan Lake, boaters go to Community Park for its beach and shore facilities, the Outlet Dam area for spring bluegill and crappie, Brown’s Channel for bluegill, crappie and walleye, and The Island for perch and walleye. A fifth local option is the lake inlet, where the Town’s slow no wake designation makes it better suited to an easy cruise than fast watersports. All five fit into a day spent entirely on Delavan Lake.

Source: Town of Delavan (townofdelavan.com)

Wisconsin does not require a general boating license, but operators born on or after January 1, 1989 generally need boating safety certification or an accepted out of state equivalent and must carry proof aboard. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources administers the rule. No one under 10 may operate a motorboat. For motorboats other than personal watercraft, qualifying adult accompaniment is allowed for operators age 10 and older instead of certification. Personal watercraft operators must be at least 12, and those subject to the cutoff must be certified; accompaniment is not a substitute, and renters must be at least 16. Rental customers 16 or older may use the state rental education certificate, valid through that calendar year only for watercraft they rent. People born before the cutoff are exempt.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (dnr.wisconsin.gov)

Know Wisconsin’s life jacket, alcohol, registration, operator and invasive species rules before launching. Carry one U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable life jacket per person; personal watercraft riders must wear one. On federally controlled waters, children under 13 must wear one while underway in an open vessel. Operating with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher is illegal. Motorized boats and sailboats over 12 feet generally require registration.

No one under 12 may operate, lease or rent a personal watercraft; operators ages 12 to 15 need an approved safety certificate, and renters must be at least 16. Remove attached plants and animals and drain all water before transporting your boat. Check landing signs for stricter local rules.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (dnr.wisconsin.gov)

At 12, a person may operate a motorboat without supervision in Wisconsin after completing a boating safety course accepted by the Wisconsin DNR. Ages 10 or 11 may operate only with a parent, guardian, or designated adult at least 18 who has a valid boating safety certificate or was born before January 1, 1989. Ages 12 through 15 may use that supervision option instead of certification. Operators 16 or older born on or after January 1, 1989 must have completed an accepted course. No one under 12 may operate a personal watercraft, no one under 16 may rent one, and operators 12 or older must be certified; adult supervision is no substitute. The rental operator sets its own minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (dnr.wisconsin.gov)

Alongside the boat clubs on this page, Delavan has 6 boat rentals, 4 marinas and 2 boat dealers.