Boat Ramps Nearby
Illustration Life jackets
The life jacket rule for every paddler
What the Coast Guard requires on kayaks and canoes, and kids' vests with head support.
Life jacket rulesBoat ramps in Connecticut
117 launches in 70 cities.
The cities with the most launches are Niantic (6), Essex Village (4) and Meriden (4). See them on the map
What Connecticut offers on the water
| Boat ramps | 105 |
|---|---|
| Kayak and canoe launches | 12 |
| Fishing piers and access | 3 |
| Marked free | 22 |
The launches in Connecticut sit on Lake Kenosia, Thames River, Gardner Lake, Rainbow Reservoir, Great Falls Reservoir, Wood Creek Pond, Lake Hayward, Lake Lillinonah.
Guides for Connecticut boaters: launching a boat, ramp etiquette and launch fees.
Illustration 
Illustration Ramp etiquette
12 rules regulars expect you to know
Staging, courtesy docks and the Clean, Drain, Dry laws that can bring a fine.
Ramp etiquetteBoat ramps by city
- Niantic6
- Essex Village4
- Meriden4
- Canaan3
- Danbury3
- Hartford3
- New Fairfield3
- Newtown3
- Preston City3
- Salem3
- Bridgeport2
- Colchester2
- Durham2
- East Haddam2
- Hebron2
- Higganum2
- Ledyard2
- Litchfield2
- Milford2
- Moodus2
- New London2
- Norwalk2
- Old Saybrook2
- South Coventry2
- Stamford2
- Tariffville2
- Thompson2
- West Torrington2
- Willimantic2
- Winchester Center2
- Windham2
- Winsted2
- Bethlehem Village1
- Byram1
- Chester Center1
- Clinton1
- Deep River Center1
- East Brooklyn1
- East Hampton1
- East Norwalk1
- Ellington1
- Enfield1
- Fairfield1
- Gales Ferry1
- Glastonbury Center1
- Groton1
- Guilford1
- Hamden1
- Jewett City1
- Kent1
- Manchester1
- Mansfield City1
- Mystic1
- New Haven1
- New Milford1
- New Preston1
- Noank1
- North Haven1
- Oxford1
- Pawcatuck1
- Plainfield Village1
- Portland1
- Ridgefield1
- Rockville1
- Stafford1
- Stratford1
- Torrington1
- Wallingford1
- Wauregan1
- Westport1
Boat ramps in Connecticut: questions and answers
How many public boat ramps and launches are in Connecticut?
We list 117 launches in 70 cities across Connecticut.
Which lakes and rivers in Connecticut have the most boat ramps?
On our map: Lake Kenosia (2), Thames River (2), Gardner Lake (2), Rainbow Reservoir (2), Great Falls Reservoir (1) and Wood Creek Pond (1). Plenty of Connecticut waters have only one public launch.
Are boat ramps in Connecticut free?
22 of the 117 launches in Connecticut are marked free in the map data. Most others in Connecticut have no fee information, and state parks and Corps of Engineers lakes usually charge a day-use fee.
Where can you launch a kayak in Connecticut?
We list 12 kayak and canoe launches in Connecticut, for example Great Falls Reservoir Access in Canaan, Rannapo Road Access in Canaan, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Kayak Launch in Colchester and Sherwood Mill Pond Kayak Launch in East Norwalk.
Where are the fishing piers in Connecticut?
3 fishing piers and fishing access sites, including Trout Hatchery in Wauregan, Trophy Trout Area (Downtown) in Willimantic and Trophy Trout Area (Downtown 2) in Willimantic.