Marinas in New Orleans, LA

For most boaters, April through May and October through November are the best times on New Orleans’ Lake Pontchartrain. Air temperatures are milder than midsummer, while Lakeview water temperatures rise from the upper 50s in January to the mid-80s in July and August, so winter outings are possible but cooler.

Summer can still work with an early start: New Orleans typically gets sporadic afternoon thunderstorms from mid-June through September. Wednesday evenings are particularly busy from March through November because of the lake’s sailing regatta, so choose another time if you prefer quieter water.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (ncei.noaa.gov)

From New Orleans, you can boat on Lake Pontchartrain, continue through The Rigolets or Chef Menteur Pass to Lake Borgne, or explore Bayou Sauvage’s marsh waterways. Lake Pontchartrain is broad open water, with launching available at West End. The Rigolets is a deep connecting passage with irregular currents, while Chef Menteur Pass is used by pleasure craft but has shallow water near its entrances. Fort Pike and Geoghegan canals have additional launching ramps. Bayou Sauvage suits small craft, with shallow lakes, lagoons, canals and natural bayous between Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne.

Source: New Orleans Municipal Yacht Harbor Management Corporation (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

Boaters can make day trips from New Orleans to Madisonville’s Tchefuncte River waterfront, Mandeville’s Lake Pontchartrain lakefront, the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse, and Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge. Madisonville draws crews to riverfront restaurants and marinas, while Mandeville combines a marina, parks and dining along the lake. The lighthouse at the Tchefuncte’s mouth makes a scenic sightseeing stop. For a quieter outing within New Orleans, Bayou Sauvage offers fishing, crabbing, birding and boating among marshes, canals and shallow interior lakes.

Source: New Orleans & Company (neworleans.com)

Louisiana requires boater education rather than a boating license: anyone born after January 1, 1984 must carry proof of an LDWF approved course to operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower or a personal watercraft. A motorboat operator may instead be accompanied by someone over 18 who has completed the course if required, but that exception does not apply to personal watercraft. Personal watercraft operators must be at least 16; rental operators must be at least 18, and students cannot be certified before age 10.

U.S. Coast Guard licensed captains are exempt. Eligible renters from a state approved livery may watch the LDWF safety video for a 48 hour exemption. Course graduates receive a temporary certificate while proof is processed.

Source: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (wlf.louisiana.gov)

Louisiana boaters should follow Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries rules on life jackets, registration, impairment, personal watercraft and posted speed zones. Children age 16 and younger must wear a properly sized, fastened U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket while underway on a vessel under 26 feet.

LDWF requires registration for all motorized vessels, sailboats 12 feet or longer and nonmotorized houseboats; keep the registration certificate aboard. A blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher can result in a boating DWI. Personal watercraft operators must be at least 16, and operating between sunset and sunrise requires approved navigation lights. Never exceed an established speed or wake zone.

Source: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (wlf.louisiana.gov)

For a Louisiana boat rental, all renters must be at least 18. Age 10 is the earliest a person can receive boater education certification and operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower without the accompaniment exception. Under R.S. 34:851.36, anyone born after January 1, 1984, needs an approved course or must be accompanied by someone over 18 who completed the course, if required. That exception does not apply to personal watercraft, whose operators must be at least 16 and course-certified if born after that date. The rental operator may set a higher minimum, so confirm it when booking.

Source: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (wlf.louisiana.gov)

Alongside the marinas on this page, New Orleans has 8 boat rentals, 1 boat club and 4 boat dealers.