Marinas in Milwaukee, WI

For most boaters, late July through August is the best time to boat Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan waterfront. McKinley Marina’s official season runs May 1 through October 31, but NOAA’s southern Lake Michigan averages stay in the low 40s in May, reach the upper 60s in July and low 70s in August, then cool to the upper 50s by October.

Choose the day as carefully as the month. Milwaukee’s National Weather Service says summer thunderstorms are most common from afternoon through late evening, afternoon lake breezes can bring sudden wind changes, and lake fog is most common late at night and early morning.

Source: Milwaukee County Parks (county.milwaukee.gov)

From Milwaukee, you can reach Milwaukee Bay on Lake Michigan, the breakwater-protected Outer Harbor, and the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers. Milwaukee Bay is the open-water choice beyond the breakwalls; the Outer Harbor is more sheltered. The Milwaukee River provides an inner-harbor cruise, while the lower Menomonee and Kinnickinnic are narrower branches with dredged channels. The entire inner harbor is posted 5 mph, slow no wake.

Typical trailer put-ins are McKinley Marina, South Shore Park, Bender Park and the downtown Riverfront Launch, all listed by Milwaukee County Parks.

Source: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (nauticalcharts.noaa.gov)

From Milwaukee, boaters can head to Lakeshore State Park, the downtown Milwaukee River, the Kinnickinnic River district or Port Washington Marina. Lakeshore State Park offers Lake Michigan mooring beside an island with trails and a small beach; the downtown river puts crews near RiverWalk dining and entertainment; the Kinnickinnic waterfront has dining and docking options; and Port Washington Marina welcomes transient boats, with restaurants and shops nearby for time ashore.

Source: Wisconsin DNR (dnr.wisconsin.gov)

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 marinas on this page, Milwaukee has 18 boat rentals, 11 boat clubs and 3 boat dealers.