Boat Ramps Nearby
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 in Iowa
232 launches in 111 cities.
The cities with the most launches are Solon (10), Cedar Falls (7) and Dubuque (7). See them on the map
What Iowa offers on the water
| Boat ramps | 190 |
|---|---|
| Kayak and canoe launches | 44 |
| Fishing piers and access | 2 |
| Marked free | 12 |
Water you can reach from here: Lake Icaria, Lake Manawa, Robert's Creek, Turkey River, West Nishnabotna River, Rock River, Brushy Creek, Ron Wilmot River.
Heading out in Iowa? launching a boat, ramp etiquette and launch fees.
Illustration 
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 by city
- Solon10
- Cedar Falls7
- Dubuque7
- Manchester7
- Des Moines6
- Elkader6
- West Union6
- Bellevue5
- Centerville5
- Guttenberg5
- North Liberty5
- Tiffin5
- Council Bluffs4
- Davenport4
- Mason City4
- Sioux City4
- Central City3
- Coralville3
- Fayette3
- Iowa City3
- Lake View3
- Postville3
- Strawberry Point3
- Tama3
- Webster City3
- Ames2
- Anamosa2
- Camanche2
- Carter Lake2
- Cedar Rapids2
- Clear Lake2
- Corning2
- Cresco2
- Eldora2
- Ely2
- Fort Dodge2
- Ida Grove2
- Independence2
- Keokuk2
- Maquoketa2
- Monticello2
- Oakland2
- Onawa2
- Osage2
- Pella2
- Rock Valley2
- Sergeant Bluff2
- Sigourney2
- Spirit Lake2
- Urbana2
- Van Meter2
- Walford2
- Wapello2
- Woodbine2
- Akron1
- Arnolds Park1
- Atlantic1
- Bedford1
- Belmond1
- Carlisle1
- Cascade1
- Center Point1
- Clarion1
- Conrad1
- Decorah1
- Denison1
- Dysart1
- Estherville1
- Glenwood1
- Granger1
- Hamburg1
- Hampton1
- Harlan1
- Hawarden1
- Indianola1
- Jesup1
- Johnston1
- Kingsley1
- La Porte City1
- Lake Panorama1
- Lamoni1
- Leon1
- Lisbon1
- Lone Tree1
- Malvern1
- Manning1
- Mapleton1
- Mediapolis1
- Missouri Valley1
- Monona1
- Mount Vernon1
- Moville1
- Muscatine1
- Nashua1
- Nevada1
- New London1
- Newton1
- Osceola1
- Palo1
- Preston1
- Riverside1
- Roland1
- Saint Ansgar1
- Shell Rock1
- State Center1
- Toledo1
- Tripoli1
- Vinton1
- Waterloo1
- Waverly1
- West Des Moines1
Boat ramps in Iowa: questions and answers
How many public boat ramps and launches are in Iowa?
We list 232 launches in 111 cities across Iowa.
Which lakes and rivers in Iowa have the most boat ramps?
On our map: Lake Icaria (2), Lake Manawa (2), Robert's Creek (2), Turkey River (2), West Nishnabotna River (2) and Rock River (2). Plenty of Iowa waters have only one public launch.
Are boat ramps in Iowa free?
12 of the 232 launches in Iowa are marked free in the map data. For the rest of Iowa we have no fee data, so check the signs.
Where can you launch a kayak in Iowa?
We list 44 kayak and canoe launches in Iowa, for example Canton Canoe Access in Cascade, LeClaire Park Boat Ramp in Davenport, Catsh Creek Canoe Launch in Dubuque and Rivers Edge Plaza in Dubuque.
Where are the fishing piers in Iowa?
2 fishing piers and fishing access sites, including Lake Virginia in Hamburg and Fischer Wildelife Area in Malvern.