Chicago Area Waterways for Paddling

We are not responsible for errors or omissions. When boating, regardless of water depth, wear a PFD!

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Fishing Allowed	Paddling Allowed	Sailing Allowed	Motorboating Allowed	Dams Locks
Area Map	Depth Map	Photo(s) Online	Report(s) Online	Camping Allowed

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Rivers, Creeks, and Canals for Paddling: (These are flat or moving waterways, also see our Whitewater pages)

• Calumet River
• Chicago River
• Des Plaines River
• Du Page River
• Fox River
• Hennepin Canal
• Illinois River
• Illinois & Michigan Canal (I&M)
• Iroquois River
• Kankakee River
• Nippersink Creek
• North Shore Sanitary Canal
• Rock River
• Salt Creek
• Ship and Sanitary Canal
• Vermilion River

Lakes for Paddling:

• Lake Atwood (McHenry County)
• Beaver Lake (Kendall County)
• Beck Lake (Cook County)
• Big Bend Lake (Cook County)
• Bluff Lake (Lake County)
• Busse Lake (Cook County)
• Lake Calumet (Cook County)
  (Sailing not recommended, but possible)
• Lake Catherine (Lake County)
• Channel Lake (Lake County)
• Lake Defiance (McHenry County)
• DesPlaines Lake (Lake County)
• Fox Lake (Lake County)
• Grass Lake (Lake County)
• Herrick Lake (Du Page County)
• Independence Grove Lake (Lake County)
• Lake In The Hills (McHenry County)
• Jericho Lake (Kane County)
• Loon Lake (Kendall County)
• McCullum Lake (McHenry County)
• Lake Michigan
  Lake Michigan online harbor maps include:
  • Belmont Harbor (Cook County)
  • Burnham Harbor (Cook County)
  • Calumet Harbor (Cook County)
  • Chicago Harbor, Monroe Harbor (Cook County)
  • Diversey Harbor (Cook County)
  • Jackson Park Harbor (Cook County)
  • 59th Street Harbor (Cook County)
  • Montrose Park Harbor (Cook County)
  • North Point Marina (Lake County)
  • Waukegan Harbor (Lake County)
  • Wilmette Harbor (Cook County)
• Lake Marie, (Lake County)
• Nippersink Lake (Lake County)
• Petite Lake (Lake County)
• Pistakee Lake (Lake County)
• Powderhorn Lake (Cook County)
• Saganashkee Slough (Cook County)
• Shabbona Lake (De Kalb County)
• Silver Lake (Du Page County)
• Skokie Lagoons (Cook County)
• Spring Lake (DuPage County)
• Sterling Lake (Lake County)
• Tampier Lake (Cook County)
• Twin Lakes (Cook County)
• Waubansee Lake (DuPage County)
• Wolf Lake (Cook County)
  Sailing normally occurs on the Indiana side.
• Wonder Lake (Private)