NMMA Updates Boating Access Map
The National Marine Manufacturers Association has updated its national boating access map as of April 28 at 3 p.m. ET. More than half of the states in the country are allowing recreational boating with rules in place to follow social distancing guidelines. BoatTEST.com will continue to provide updates until all the states are green because boaters should have access to the waterways.
Following is the latest list of states provided by the NMMA.
Alaska
Access Impacts: Alaska state parks remain open however and according to state boating officials, residents are encouraged to go boating and fishing if they can do so without leaving their community.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is informing the public that Health Mandate 012 – Intrastate Travel was amended from an April 21 expiration date to an “in effect until suspended” status. The mandate reads, “All instate travel between communities, whether resident, worker, or visitor, is prohibited unless travel is to support critical infrastructure, or for critical personal needs”.
Arizona
Arizona parks and other outdoor venues are open, although most visitor centers are closed. Lake Powell National Recreation area is closed.
Arkansas
Wildlife management areas, boat ramps, lakes and fishing accesses controlled by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) remain open during the day. The AGFC suggests the following: keep it local, plan ahead, spread out, avoid crowded access points and keep it friendly but keep it quick.
California
Governor Newsom has yet to issue any guidance on when California may begin lifting some of the restrictions in his stay-at-home order. State officials have closed parking lots at all parks and boating access locations to prevent overcrowding. While access to these facilities is open, getting to them, in many cases, is difficult.
Colorado
Colorado state parks remain open for all outdoor recreation. Boating and fishing are allowed in state parks during the stay-in-place order as long as boaters follow government guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Watercraft Inspection and Decontamination Stations to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species in State Parks are open and staffed.
Connecticut
All of the state’s 117 boat launches remain open, although docks are not be in place yet. Kent Falls State Park (Kent) and Seaside State Park (Waterford) have both been closed to the public. Marinas, boatyards and marine manufacturers can open for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitization protocols are followed.
Delaware
Beaches within Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island state parks are closed, except for limited vehicle access to beaches for the purpose of surf fishing for those with a current surf fishing permit. All state park offices, nature centers, campgrounds, cabins, cottages and bathhouses are closed. Out-of-state visitors must self-quarantine for 14 days before engaging in fishing, hunting, golf, visiting state parks and wildlife areas.
Florida
On April 17, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-91, which closed all FWC maintained boat ramps, marinas and other public access points to the public, as well as State Parks. He has not revised that order, however state, county and local boat ramps are opening in more locations than in the past. The FWC’s Florida Public Boat Ramp Finder is updated every 24-hours to include information regarding boat ramp open/closed status. FWC recommends checking with authorities for current ramp status. All recreational boats must be at least 50 feet apart. Each recreational vessel must not have more than 10 people on board.
This morning, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties will reopen marinas, boat launches, docking, fueling, marine supply and marina services under limited circumstances: Boating will be allowed from public marinas. Boat ramps will open daily from 6am to 8pm and one boat per launch area is allowed at a time. Anchoring is once again allowed but boats must remain 50’ (15.24 m) apart. Rafting up or tying up together is not permitted and no more than 10 people are allowed on a boat at once.
Georgia
Georgia state parks remain open but with limited use to public facilities. If designated parking areas on boat ramps or similar areas are full, the area has reached capacity. Do not park outside designated spaces. Do not park in any area not designated for legal parking.
Hawaii
All Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) district and harbor offices across the state are closed to public, in-person access. All public restrooms within DOBOR harbors are closed.
Idaho
No statewide executive orders have been taken in regard to recreational activities. Idaho state parks and boating access points remain open for daytime use. However, the Department of Parks and Recreation states in its website that access to parks may be restricted if visitors regularly violate social distancing guidelines.
Illinois
Governor Pritzker announced that beginning on May 1st boating access will be restricted to two people per boat, regardless of the relationship of the people in the boat.
Indiana
Currently all DNR properties including state parks, state forests, fish and wildlife areas, nature preserves, and state recreation areas are open. Entrance fees have temporarily been suspended. Lakes, dams and waters managed by the U.S. Army Corps are closed.
Iowa
State Parks, forests and preserves remain open during this time for day-use opportunities, but visitors are reminded to strictly abide the social distancing rules and not gather in groups.
Kansas
Kansas state parks, fishing lakes and wildlife areas are open to the public. In Executive Order 20-16, Kansas Governor Kelly allows outdoor activity as long as people stay six feet apart and in groups of 10 or less. EO 20-16 does not restrict boating or boating access.
Kentucky
Some boat ramps operated by the U.S. Corps of Engineers may be closed. Check with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for district information.
Louisiana
State-run facilities are open. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries encourages outdoor activities including fishing, however visitors must practice social distancing and gather in groups of 10 or less. (LDWF) offices, facilities and public restrooms are closed.
Maine
All inland waters have been opened to recreational boating and fishing as of March 20, 2020.
Maryland
Governor Hogan has released the “Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery” which includes a three staged plan for reopening businesses. Opening recreational boating and fishing will be included in stage one, however a timeline for stage one has not been released. Boats can be moved by water to repair facilities. Recreational boating is prohibited until the governor lifts the executive order or until the State of Emergency has ended.
Massachusetts
On April 27, the Massachusetts Dept. of Energy and Environmental Affairs released guidance on recreational boating. Inland boat ramps and canoe launches within state parks, forests, wildlife management areas, boating access facilities remain open. Ramps remain open subject to available parking.
Michigan
State harbors are closed through at least May 15. At this time, boat launches and parking lots at access sites remain open but fishing piers and vault toilets are closed. On April 24, Governor Whitmer issued a revised executive order that allows motorized boating.
Minnesota
On April 17, Governor Walz issued an executive order expanding allowable outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, golfing, fishing, hunting and more. The order also permits specific outdoor recreation businesses to reopen and remain open. These include; bait shops, marina services, dock installation services, boat repair, outdoor shooting ranges, public and private trails, and golf courses.
Mississippi
State Lakes and State Park Lakes have reopened for fishing and boating effective on Monday, April 20, 2020. Wildlife management areas remain open. Social distancing guidelines must be adhered to. The National Park Service has prohibited access to the offshore islands of the Mississippi section of Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Missouri
Missouri state parks remain open. Boat ramps are operating normally. The department of conservation reminds people that it is still critical for everyone to continue to heed all recommendations for physical distancing, avoiding overcrowding, hand-washing, and other public-health measures during outdoor activities.
Montana
Montana State Park campgrounds will be closed starting on March 28th but are expected to reopen on or around May 1. All State Parks will remain open for day use recreation.
Nebraska
Nebraska state parks and recreation areas remain open for day use, fishing and recreation with some facilities closures.
Nevada
Governor Sisolak has allowed outdoor recreation. Nevada state parks remain open for day use only and it is asked individuals practice social distancing when visiting. Lake Mead National Recreation Area is closed, but those keeping their boats at marina facilities have access to their vessels.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire state parks, boating and boating access points remain open, but restroom facilities are closed. Docks will not be installed until the social distancing restrictions are lifted. Anglers are urged to continue practicing social distancing recommendations from state and federal health agencies.
New Jersey
Marinas, ramps and boat manufacturers are open for personal use. Boaters are reminded they cannot congregate in parking lots, at boat ramps or at popular fishing locations.
New Mexico
All state parks are temporarily closed. All Department of Game and Fish offices and all hatcheries are closed to the public.
New York
On April 19, Governor Cuomo announced Executive Order 202.6, “Essential Business,” shall mean businesses operating in or as: Marinas, boatyards, and recreational marine manufacturers, for ongoing marina operations and boat repair/maintenance, where such facilities adhere to strict social distancing and sanitization protocols. Use of such sites for the purposes of personal use or operation of boats or other watercraft is permissible.
North Carolina
Several North Carolina state parks are closed. Parks that adhere to social distancing guidelines remain open. All Park offices, visitor centers, restrooms, bathhouses, campgrounds, and cabins are closed statewide.
North Dakota
North Dakota outdoor recreational facilities, including boat ramps that are accessible to the Missouri River and wildlife management areas remain open. State operated marinas may be closed.
Ohio
Ohio state parks, wildlife area, forests and nature preserves mostly remain open — including non-marina docks. State park marina buildings are closed. Non-resident fishing license sales have temporarily been suspended. Individuals who currently possess a non-resident fishing license may fish in Ohio if they abide by ODH guidance to self-quarantine for 14 days before they do so.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma state parks remain open and encourage effective social distancing. All visitors coming from the NY tri-state area, Washington state, Louisiana and California are required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Oregon
All recreational fishing, crabbing and clamming in Oregon is limited to state residents. While most seasons remain open for Oregon residents, many locations to fish, hunt, crab and clam are closed to public access, including some boat ramps, parking lots and restrooms. Boaters are still required to stop at aquatic invasive species inspection stations. The Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) maintains an interactive map of boat ramps.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania boating facilities, trails, lakes, roads and parking are open but state park and forest facilities are closed until May 8. Boating is a currently acceptable form of outdoor activity when social distancing is practiced. Marinas will be allowed to reopen starting on May 1.
Rhode Island
Currently boating and marina operations are allowed as long as boaters are not within a park that is closed. Boat ramps are still open except for those located within state parks. Social distancing guidelines still apply.
South Carolina
South Carolina State Parks plan to reopen on Friday, May 1, on a limited basis. Governor McMaster issued an Executive Order reopening all public boat ramps and beach access points.
South Dakota
Public boat launches remain open to the public. Depending on ice, water levels and other weather conditions, it may take additional time to place more docks in the water as additional open water opportunities become available.
Tennessee
Most Tennessee state parks are open for day-use visitation between 7am and sunset starting April 24, 2020. The public will have access to most trails, boat ramps, marinas, golf courses and other outdoor recreation opportunities.
Texas
Texas state parks are open for day use only and passes must be reserved online in advance. Additional guidelines for the visit include: individuals must wear face coverings at all times; individuals must maintain a 6’ (1.83 m) distance from people not in their group; and gather in groups of no more than five people (even for family groups). Some boating and fishing access points are closed.
Utah
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) issued an emergency order April 1, temporarily suspending hot water decontaminations and altering inspections for watercraft leaving Lake Powell. Before the temporary boat ramp closure was implemented on April 6, nearly 1,000 boats launched at Lake Powell (between April 1 and April 6), which is when the DWR emergency order suspending hot water decontaminations was implemented. Lake Powell boaters who left the lake before the closure or who remove their boats after the closure are required to wait 30 days before they launch their watercraft at another Utah waterbody.
Vermont
Vermont state parks and boating facilities are free and open, however outdoor activities should take place within 10 miles of home to minimize travel and potential risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Virginia
Lakes and rivers operated by the Department Of Game and Inland Fisheries are open and boating is allowed. Check with your local county and city for any additional closures. Burke Lake Park parking area and boat launch are closed.
Washington
Washington State Parks are currently closed but state managed boat ramps and launches, parks, wildlife areas and recreational lands will reopen on Tuesday, May 5 for local day-use only. Social distancing guidelines must be followed and only those living in the same household may go boating together.
West Virginia
The requirement for West Virginia residents to possess a fishing license has been waived through April 24. Day-use areas, including hiking and biking trails and fishing lakes, remain open for public use.
Wisconsin
Effective May 1, most Wisconsin State Park properties will be open to the public. Admission fees will be required and there will be various property conditions in place including new hours of operation. DNR boat launches are open at open state properties.
All anglers and recreational boaters should practice social distancing and keep travel to a minimum. If individuals can lawfully access Wisconsin’s rivers and lakes, they are free to navigate upon them while engaging in outdoor recreation.
Wyoming
Wyoming state parks remain open, but visitor centers are closed. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is encouraging social distancing and to avoid congregating with others in parking lots, public access areas and trailheads. Nonresidents should be aware that there is a 14-day quarantine directive for people entering Wyoming through the end of April. Nonresidents are asked to stay home at this time, unless they can observe the quarantine.