Powerboating in Indiana

Indiana's boating runs wider than its reputation: Lake Michigan on the northern border, a spread of inland lakes through the middle, and the Ohio River tracing the southern edge. On the Great Lakes side, deep-water marinas in Michigan City and East Chicago serve larger vessels and cruising boaters, while the Indiana Dunes National Park coastline puts sand dunes right alongside working harbors, not a pairing you find in many states.

Inland, the lakes each carry their own character. Southern Indiana holds the big reservoirs (Monroe Lake, the state's largest inland lake, and Patoka Lake), with room for sailing, powerboating, and fishing, backed by plentiful marinas and launch facilities. Central and northern Indiana counter with natural water: Lake Wawasee, the state's largest natural lake, and the Chain O'Lakes, where boating runs at a more intimate scale, heavy on watersports and lakeside community life. Services across these areas cover most vessel types.