Chain O’Lakes State Park – FREE state-owned boat ramps available
Ben Watts Marina Boat Launch – Four-lane concrete ramp with docks and gravel parking, located mid-lake on the east side off US Highway 12
Nauti-Port Marina – 514 Park Ave, Fox Lake, IL 60020 (708) 603-5940
Multiple private (fee-based) launches available throughout the system
Marinas:
Pistakee Marina – 86 floating dock slips accommodating boats 10′ to 40′ in length, with PWC ports. Family-owned since 2021, located at 512 Park Ave, Fox Lake, IL 60020
Five Star Boat Center – 98 exclusive slip spots in protected cove, gated marina with high-end amenities, 16-camera security system
Bald Knob Marina – Family-owned since 1989, located on Pistakee Lake near Fox Lake
Ben Watts Marina – 116 S US-12, Fox Lake, IL 60020 (847) 587-0211
Access Points:
Equipment Rentals:
boats, pontoons, jet skis, etc.
Lake Details
Historical Information
Formed by Wisconsin glacier melting thousands of years ago
In the late 19th and early 20th century, the area became popular with Chicago tourists
The Dunnill family and Converse Marble were early European settlers who dug “the Cut” channel between Pistakee and Nippersink Lakes by hand
Tourism boom began with Milwaukee Road railroad introduction in 1901, with station at Nippersink Point
