Renting a boat from Provo means choosing a lake before choosing a boat. Three reservoirs and lakes within an hour of downtown carry nearly all of the valley's rental traffic, and they are three different markets: Utah Lake, ten minutes west, warm, shallow and close; Deer Creek, up Provo Canyon, the lake where groups go to be on a boat together; and Jordanelle, farther up the road above Heber, with an eight-lane launch and the best water for beginners on paddleboards.
This guide covers who rents what at each, how a delivery rental differs from a marina one, the two Utah boating courses and the jet-ski age rules that catch families out, how rental pricing is built, and which lake suits which group. If you are bringing your own kayak or paddleboard, our kayaking and paddleboarding guide covers launch points and river paddling; this page is about renting.
The Short Answer, by Craft
A pontoon for a family or a group. Deer Creek or Jordanelle, from the marina concession on site, booked ahead for any summer weekend. A pontoon is the right boat for a mixed group: it is slow, stable and easy to drive, and grandparents and toddlers can both sit down.
A ski, wake or surf boat. Deer Creek and Jordanelle both rent them at the marina, and several private companies rent them on trailers or deliver them to the ramp. Book the first slot of the morning if the point is glassy water.
A jet ski. All three lakes. Read the age rules below before promising a teenager a turn at the handlebars.
A kayak or paddleboard. Jordanelle's Hailstone area for learning, because of its wake-free zone; Utah Lake's marinas for the closest paddle from Provo; and BYU's Outdoors Unlimited for anyone with a campus connection, which rents paddle craft at student rates.
Utah Lake: The Close One
Utah Lake State Park sits at the end of Center Street, about ten minutes from downtown Provo, and it is the largest marina on the lake, with ramps, day-use docks and, according to the Utah Lake Commission, the only public fuel station on the lake. A rental operator works from the Provo marina: Epic Recreation, which lists boats, WaveRunners and non-motorized craft including paddleboards, kayaks and water trampolines on its site, takes motorized bookings online and rents paddle craft first come, first served, with a call-ahead recommended for groups. The Utah Lake Commission also lists the Bonneville School of Sailing as a concession at the park. State park concessions change hands on contract cycles, so confirm the current operator on the park's own page before you drive out.
Up the east shore, Lindon Marina is privately owned and rents small craft: the Utah Lake Commission's listing names paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, pedal boats and small sailboats, along with a beach and a life-jacket loaner station. At the south end, Lincoln Beach has a boat ramp and a floating dock but is a launch rather than a rental stop.
Two things make Utah Lake different from the mountain reservoirs. It is shallow, which helps it warm early in the season and lets an afternoon wind turn it choppy faster than a deeper lake would; a paddleboard that was easy at nine can be hard work at three. And it is prone to algal bloom advisories in late summer. Utah issues three tiers, Health Watch, Warning Advisory and Danger Advisory, and paddling counts as contact recreation because paddlers fall in. Our Utah Lake guide explains the lake's seasons, and it is worth checking the current advisory before booking anything you cannot cancel.
Deer Creek: The Boat Lake
Deer Creek Reservoir sits at the top of Provo Canyon, where US-189 opens into Heber Valley, and it is the lake Utah County drives to when the point of the day is a boat full of friends. The state park names one rental concession on its own page: Deer Creek Island Resort, at the Island Beach day-use area, which rents kayaks, jet skis, wakeboard boats and pontoons and offers chartered, captained boats. The operator's site also lists a second location, the Cove Marina at the park's main entrance, for WaveRunners and paddle craft, which it showed as closed for the 2024 season; check whether it is running before planning around it.
The lake's rhythm is set by the wind. Our Deer Creek and Jordanelle guide describes it: water-skiers and wakeboarders go early or go midweek, and the afternoon wind brings out the windsurfers and kiteboarders. For a rental, that means the morning slot is the one worth paying for if anyone wants to ski or surf, and the afternoon is fine for a pontoon cruise. Beyond the boats, the park hosts a floating obstacle course, the Rainbow Bay Aqua Park, and a zipline across Rainbow Bay run by Zipline Utah, which makes Deer Creek the easiest lake to fill a whole day at with children.
Two practical notes. The state park charges its own entrance fee at the gate, separate from anything you pay the rental company. And the Sailboat Beach day-use area was closed from May 2023 through June 2026 for construction on the Deer Creek Dam intake project, according to the park; if your plan depends on that corner of the lake, check that it has reopened.
Jordanelle: The Big Launch and the Beginner's Zone
Jordanelle is the farthest of the three from Provo, above Heber on the way toward Park City, and its Hailstone area has an eight-lane launch ramp, according to its marina operator. Jordanelle Rentals and Marina operates from the Hailstone area, listed by the state park, renting fishing boats, pontoons, ski boats, jet skis that carry up to three riders, kayaks and paddleboards, with early-morning pricing for anyone willing to be on the water first. The operator lists its season as May through October.
Jordanelle's great advantage for families is Hailstone's large wake-free zone, which is the single best reason to bring a beginner here rather than to Deer Creek. A child on a rented paddleboard can learn without a wake boat's rollers arriving every few minutes. Several Park City–based operators also run paddleboard, sailing and rowing programs on the reservoir, which is worth knowing for anyone who wants a lesson rather than a rental.
The drive is the cost. From Provo it is the longest of the three trips, and summer weekend traffic through Heber can add to it. The park's hours run from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to its rentals page, and like Deer Creek it charges an entrance fee at the gate.
Delivery and Tow-Away Rentals
The marina concessions are not the only way onto the water. A number of private companies rent boats and jet skis on trailers, or deliver them to a ramp at Utah Lake, Deer Creek or Jordanelle and pick them up afterward. The model suits a group that wants a particular boat, a group launching from a marina without a concession, or anyone who wants to combine a rental with a campsite.
The questions to ask are the same everywhere:
- Who launches and retrieves? A delivery rental usually handles the ramp; a tow-away rental hands you the trailer, and your vehicle then needs the right hitch, ball size and working trailer lights.
- What is included? Fuel, a damage agreement, life jackets, towable toys and a pre-launch briefing are sometimes in the price and sometimes extras.
- What happens in wind or an advisory? Cancellation policies range from generous to strict, and the fine print on weather is where they differ most.
- Who pays the park? The state park entrance fee is almost always yours, and a trailer can change what you pay or where you may park.
A search for any of these lakes turns up a cluster of websites each describing itself as the official rental company for that lake. The only place that names a park's contracted concessionaire is the state park's own page. A private operator can be perfectly good, but it is not the same thing, and it is worth knowing which one you are booking.
What the Rental Will Ask of You
The Mussel Aware Boater course, every year, for everyone. Utah's Division of Outdoor Recreation requires its free annual Mussel Aware Boater course of all boaters, motorized and non-motorized, residents and nonresidents alike. It covers quagga and zebra mussels, which travel from lake to lake on boats and which Utah works to keep out of its reservoirs with inspection stations and decontamination. Kayakers and paddleboarders are included, which surprises people who assume the rule is for motorboats. Utah Lake State Park reminds boaters to self-certify and display their quagga form before launching. Take the course before the trip, keep the proof on your phone, and ask your rental company how it handles the launch paperwork for its own boats.
The youth jet-ski course, for riders 12 through 17. Under state law, no one under 12 may operate a personal watercraft. Riders from 12 through 17 must complete the state's youth personal watercraft course and carry the certificate, and riders from 12 through 15 must also be under the direct supervision of a responsible adult who is at least 18. On motorboats, an operator under 16 must be directly supervised by someone 18 or older. Adults need no license or certificate to drive a rented boat or jet ski in Utah.
The rental company's own rules. Operators set a minimum age for the person who signs the agreement, typically higher than the legal floor, and they ask for identification, a card for a deposit or damage hold, signed waivers, and a pre-launch briefing before anyone leaves the dock. Those are business terms rather than laws, and they differ from one company to the next.
Life jackets. Utah requires a life jacket aboard for every person, and children 12 and under must wear one while the boat is underway. Rental operators supply them. On a paddleboard or a jet ski, wearing one rather than stowing it is the sensible choice, because coming off is part of the activity.
How Rental Pricing Works
We do not print rental rates, because they change every summer and a stale number in a guide is worse than none. What does not change is how the price is built, and knowing the parts makes it possible to compare two quotes honestly.
The block of hours. Rentals are sold in blocks, commonly two, four and eight hours, and the per-hour price falls as the block grows. A half day is often the best value for a family, since few children last a full day on a boat.
Weekday against weekend. Weekends and holidays cost more and sell out first. A Tuesday on the same boat is often noticeably cheaper and always less crowded at the ramp.
Fuel. Some operators include a tank; others charge for what you burn, which on a wake boat pulling skiers all morning adds up quickly.
The damage agreement and deposit. Most rentals carry a refundable hold, and many offer or require a damage waiver. Read what the waiver covers, particularly propellers and towed toys.
The park. The entrance fee at Deer Creek, Jordanelle and Utah Lake is paid to the park, not to the rental company, and it applies per vehicle.
Total the five and compare totals, not headline rates. The cheapest-looking quote is sometimes the one with fuel and the waiver left out.
Picking the Lake
| Utah Lake | Deer Creek | Jordanelle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Provo | About 10 minutes | Up Provo Canyon | The longest drive, above Heber |
| Best for | A short evening, paddle craft, sailing | Groups on a boat, wake sports in the morning | Beginners on paddleboards, long days |
| Rentals on site | At the Provo marina and Lindon Marina | Deer Creek Island Resort | Jordanelle Rentals and Marina |
| Watch for | Afternoon chop, algal bloom advisories | Afternoon wind, holiday crowds | Heber traffic, a long day for small children |
A family with young children and one day: Deer Creek, a pontoon in the morning, the aqua park after lunch. A teenager who wants to learn to paddleboard: Jordanelle's wake-free zone. An after-work hour on the water: Utah Lake, if the advisory is clear. A group of friends who want to surf: Deer Creek or Jordanelle, first slot of the morning, midweek if at all possible.
Rules of Thumb From the Water
Go early. On both mountain reservoirs the morning water is flat and the afternoon wind is reliable. Anyone skiing, surfing or learning on a paddleboard wants the morning.
Book the holidays early. The Fourth of July and Pioneer Day on July 24 typically bring the summer's heaviest crowds to the ramps, and rental fleets book out well ahead of both. The ramps back up on those days too, so a late start costs rental time you have already paid for.
Respect the cold. Deer Creek and Jordanelle are mountain reservoirs fed by snowmelt, and early in the season the water is cold enough to matter to a child who falls off a board. A wetsuit top or a short session is the answer in June.
Sunday is quieter. Many Utah County families do not boat on Sunday, which leaves the water noticeably less crowded for those who do; check your operator's Sunday hours, since some open later that day.
Carry more sun protection than you think. Water reflects ultraviolet light, and a day on a pontoon burns faster than a day on a trail.
Know the canyon. From Provo, both mountain reservoirs are reached through Provo Canyon, and our Provo Canyon guide covers the road. A boat day that starts at seven is a boat day that avoids the canyon traffic.
What to Bring
The rental supplies the boat, the life jackets and usually a briefing. Everything else is yours to carry, and once a pontoon leaves the dock there is nowhere to buy anything.
- Water, more than seems reasonable, and food for the whole block. A four-hour rental is long enough for everyone to get hungry, and sun and wind dehydrate people faster than the air temperature suggests.
- Sun protection: sunscreen reapplied through the day, hats that tie on, and sunglasses with a strap. A pontoon's canopy shades the deck but not the light bouncing off the water.
- A dry bag or a waterproof phone case, because a phone that goes over the side is usually gone for good.
- Water shoes or sandals for the ramp, the docks and the shoreline.
- A towel and a warm layer for each person. Evening wind on a mountain reservoir turns a wet swimmer cold quickly, even in July.
- Identification and the card you booked with, plus proof of your Mussel Aware course and, for any rider from 12 through 17, the youth jet-ski certificate.
Leave glass at home. A broken bottle on a wet deck is an injury waiting to happen.
The Short Version
Pick the lake first. Utah Lake is ten minutes away, shallow and warm, with rentals at its Provo marina and at Lindon Marina, and it is the one to check for algal bloom advisories. Deer Creek is the group boat lake, with Deer Creek Island Resort renting pontoons, wake boats, jet skis and paddle craft, and its afternoon wind makes mornings the premium slot. Jordanelle is the long drive with the big launch, Jordanelle Rentals and Marina at Hailstone, and the wake-free zone that makes it the place to learn. Everyone aboard needs the annual Mussel Aware course; riders 12 through 17 need the youth jet-ski course, and riders 12 through 15 need an adult supervising. Compare rental quotes by their totals, not their headline rates.
Related Guides
- Kayaking and Paddleboarding Around Provo
- Deer Creek and Jordanelle Reservoirs
- Utah Lake: The Complete Guide
- Lincoln Beach at Utah Lake
- Strawberry Reservoir from Provo
- Tibble Fork Reservoir
- Provo Canyon
- ATV and UTV Rentals in Utah Valley
- Activities for Large Groups in Utah Valley
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I rent a boat near Provo?
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