Vacation Pontoon Rental

Rentals from Vacation Pontoon Rental include life jackets, safety equipment, an anchor, fuel, cooler storage, a bimini top, a Bluetooth stereo and GPS navigation. Amenities vary by boat and by season, so confirm what comes with the boat you book.

Indiana requires a motorboat operator to hold a valid driver's license, or else to be at least 15 years old, to have passed a Boater Education Course, and to carry an identification card issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Those requirements are set out in IC 14-15-11. The state sets no minimum age for renting, so the rental company's own policy is what decides whether you can book. Confirm it when you reserve.

Source: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (faqs.in.gov)

Indiana does not issue a separate recreational boating license; operators of motorboats over 10 horsepower, including personal watercraft, generally must carry a valid driver’s license. A person age 15 or older without one may operate only after completing an Indiana Department of Natural Resources approved boater education course and carrying an Indiana BMV identification card. No one under 15 may operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower or a personal watercraft.

The rule has no birth date cutoff. Rental customers are not listed as exempt. A temporary course certificate may document completion, but it does not replace the required BMV ID. Boats with 10 horsepower or less are excluded from these operator requirements.

Source: Indiana Department of Natural Resources, in.gov/dnr (faqs.in.gov)

From Angola, head for the Lake James Chain: Lake James is the largest boating water, Snow Lake and Jimmerson Lake are smaller connected choices, and Big Otter Lake makes a compact side trip. The chain officially includes these lakes and their connecting streams. Operate at idle speed in the marked area between Lake James and Snow Lake and along Follett Creek between Snow Lake and Big Otter Lake.

Boaters can put in at the public access serving Big Otter, Snow and James, or use the Lake James Chain access on Lane 340A at Jimmerson Lake.

Source: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (in.gov)

Boaters from Angola often make a day of the Lake James Chain. The First Basin sandbar is the social stop, with Lake James Association gatherings held there; Potawatomi Inn’s dock offers first come space and access to an onshore dining room; Snow Lake draws boaters for fishing and sunset views along Pokagon State Park; and Jimmerson Lake adds a bass fishing leg to the outing. Together, these stops combine gathering, docking, scenery and angling on waters identified with Angola and the Lake James Chain.

Source: Indiana Department of Natural Resources (secure.in.gov)