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 Illinois
398 launches in 167 cities.
The cities with the most launches are Chicago (22), Ina (21) and Alton (13). See them on the map
What Illinois offers on the water
| Boat ramps | 295 |
|---|---|
| Kayak and canoe launches | 46 |
| Fishing piers and access | 58 |
| Marked free | 25 |
The launches in Illinois sit on Rend Lake, Lake Shelbyville, Horseshoe Lake, Busse Lake, Rock River, Sandusky Creek, Crab Orchard Lake, Fox River.
New to the ramp? what ramps cost, kayak launches and ramp etiquette.
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
- Chicago22
- Ina21
- Alton13
- Murphysboro13
- Oakwood12
- Pinckneyville12
- Benton10
- Sesser10
- Des Plaines9
- Carbondale7
- Shelbyville7
- Elk Grove Village6
- Cairo4
- Decatur4
- Libertyville4
- Red Bud4
- Rosiclare4
- Sullivan4
- Winnetka4
- Cambria3
- Carlyle3
- Carol Stream3
- Carterville3
- Coal Valley3
- Evanston3
- Godfrey3
- Goreville3
- Granite City3
- Gurnee3
- Hudson3
- Meredosia3
- Metropolis3
- Moline3
- Mount Carmel3
- Peoria3
- Rochester3
- Rock Falls3
- Savanna3
- Vernon Hills3
- Wadsworth3
- West Dundee3
- Willow Springs3
- Winchester3
- Windsor3
- Astoria2
- Cherry Valley2
- Chillicothe2
- Crystal Lake2
- East Saint Louis2
- Elgin2
- Fulton2
- Glasford2
- Glenview2
- Greenville2
- Hamilton2
- Havana2
- Hillsboro2
- Hoffman Estates2
- Lindenhurst2
- Litchfield2
- Nashville2
- New Athens2
- Ottawa2
- Plano2
- Port Byron2
- Quincy2
- Rockford2
- Round Lake2
- Sandoval2
- Springfield2
- Steeleville2
- Vandalia2
- Vienna2
- White Hall2
- Addison1
- Algonquin1
- Alsip1
- Barry1
- Batavia1
- Beardstown1
- Belvidere1
- Broadview1
- Brookfield1
- Bunker Hill1
- Byron1
- Canton1
- Carbon Cliff1
- Carlinville1
- Carrier Mills1
- Carrollton1
- Charleston1
- Chatham1
- Clinton1
- Cobden1
- Dixon1
- East Alton1
- East Dubuque1
- East Dundee1
- Eldorado1
- Erie1
- Eureka1
- Fox Lake1
- Galena1
- Galesburg1
- Geneva1
- Genoa1
- Glencoe1
- Griggsville1
- Hampton1
- Harrisburg1
- Harwood Heights1
- Hickory Hills1
- Highland1
- Highland Park1
- Holiday Shores1
- Island Lake1
- Joliet1
- Kingston1
- Kirkland1
- Lacon1
- Lake Villa1
- Lena1
- Lincoln1
- Long Lake1
- Loves Park1
- Macomb1
- Manito1
- Maryville1
- Maywood1
- Morris1
- Morrison1
- Morton Grove1
- Mount Zion1
- Mundelein1
- Naperville1
- Normal1
- North Peoria1
- Northbrook1
- Oak Brook1
- Olney1
- Oquawka1
- Oregon1
- Oswego1
- Palos Park1
- Pekin1
- Pontiac1
- Prophetstown1
- Rantoul1
- River Forest1
- Riverside1
- Rockton1
- Rome1
- Saint Charles1
- Schaumburg1
- Schiller Park1
- Shawneetown1
- Spring Grove1
- Sterling1
- Villa Park1
- Virginia1
- Warrenville1
- Wauconda1
- Wheeling1
- Winnebago1
- Wonder Lake1
- Worth1
- Yorkville1
Boat ramps in Illinois: questions and answers
How many public boat ramps and launches are in Illinois?
We list 398 launches in 167 cities across Illinois.
Which lakes and rivers in Illinois have the most boat ramps?
On our map: Rend Lake (7), Lake Shelbyville (6), Horseshoe Lake (5), Busse Lake (5), Rock River (4) and Sandusky Creek (4). Smaller lakes in Illinois often have just one ramp.
Are boat ramps in Illinois free?
25 of the 398 launches in Illinois are marked free in the map data. Most others in Illinois 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 Illinois?
We list 46 kayak and canoe launches in Illinois, for example River Front Park Boat Ramp in Algonquin, Distillery Road Canoe Launch in Belvidere, Addison Creek Confluence Canoe Launch in Broadview and Canoe Launch in Cherry Valley (Southeast) in Cherry Valley.
Where are the fishing piers in Illinois?
58 fishing piers and fishing access sites, including Fishing Attractor (Downtown) in Benton, Fishing Attractor (Northwest) in Benton, Fishing Attractor (Downtown 2) in Benton and Fishing Attractor (Downtown 3) in Benton.