4 of the Best Boating Lakes in the USA to Go This Year

Folks in these lake regions are serious boaters. Boats are part of their everyday life.

It's after Labor Day, but folks in the following communities aren't even thinking about winterizing their boats! They live on some of the best boating lakes for good reason. Our country offers many top lakes for boating but these four places to boat are truly unique.

1. Seattle, Washington Boating Lakes

My son lives in Seattle and says that while the coastal city draws more boaters to the Pacific Ocean, Lake Union and Lake Washington are more unique. Not only do folks live on the water, but many work for Microsoft and Boeing. Their daily work commute is by boat which is very different from most of us. The temperate climate leads to a nearly year-round boating community.

2. Boating in Knoxville, Tennessee

This summer, I was in Knoxville for work. Folks beat the heat by boating on Fort Loudon Lake. The Tennessee River connects downtown to the lake, so it's easy to get on the water. It's no surprise that boat companies like Bayliner and Sea Ray are headquartered in the area. They'll use Tellico Lake to test their new models prior to release. And since it's football season, University of Tennessee fans tailgate on their boats instead of in parking lots. Boating safety tips should include having enough PDF's as well as a designated captain that isn't partying like a rock star.

3. Boating Lakes in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

The land of 10,000 boating lakes in Minnesota. A short boating season is eclipsed only by increased participation. While the technical number of lakes is 1,048, Otter Tail County is recognized as having the most number of lakes in a single county as well as some of the best boating lakes in the USA. It's so much a questions of where to boat. It's more a question of how many lakes can you experience in a lifetime.

4. Boating in Finger Lakes, New York

How can there not be boating and fishing in a place called the Finger Lakes? The upstate New York region has 11 long lakes arranged like fingers on a hand. Add in seasonal fishing derbies for bass and lake trout, boat rentals, and boating communities and you've got a lot of fun. If you're not sure how to boat, then climb aboard a cruise ship.

There are best boating lakes in all regions of our country so keep your boat in the water, check for places where to boat and fish and enjoy the fall!

Tom Keer

Tom Keer is an award-winning writer who lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He is a columnist for the Upland Almanac, a Contributing Writer for Covey Rise magazine, a Contributing Editor for both Fly Rod and Reel and Fly Fish America, and a blogger for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Take Me Fishing program. Keer writes regularly for over a dozen outdoor magazines on topics related to fishing, hunting, boating, and other outdoor pursuits. When they are not fishing, Keer and his family hunt upland birds over their three English setters. His first book, a Fly Fishers Guide to the New England Coast was released in January 2011. Visit him at www.tomkeer.com or at www.thekeergroup.com.