RATES & FEES
ENTRANCE | CAMPING | BOATING | HORSE | OFF-ROAD CYCLING | MISC. | HUNTING & FISHING
RESERVATIONS
CAMPING| INNS | CABINS | SHELTERS | PINE HILLS GROUP CAMPS
Reservation phone numbers:
Camping, cabins, shelters, group camps: 1-866-622-6746.
State Park Inns and Brown County State Park cabins: 1-877-563-4371.
Lake Permits
Annual lake permits are required for privately-owned boats and seaplanes using or mooring at state parks, state-managed lakes, state forest and Division of Outdoor Recreation lakes.
- Motorized: $25.
- Non-motorized: $5.
Permits are required for personal watercraft, motorboats, kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, rowboats and all watercraft moored at marinas, private docks, group docks or bank ties.
Where to buy:
- Online at Mother Nature's Mercantile.
- Property offices and entrance gates (when staffed) at state parks, reservoirs and forests.
- DNR Customer Service Center, 877-463-6367 or 317-232-4200, in the Indiana Government Center in downtown Indianapolis.
Where is the permit required?
- Lakes that require permits
State parks
- All lakes at Chain O’Lakes State Park
- Cagles Mill (Lieber) Lake
- Cecil M. Harden (Raccoon) Lake.
- Brookville Lake
- Hardy Lake
- Kunkel Lake at Ouabache State Park
- Lake Lincoln and Weber Lake at Lincoln State Park.
- Lakes Shakamak, Lenape and Kickapoo at Shakamak State Park
- Mississinewa Lake
- Monroe Lake
- Ogle and Strahl Lakes at Brown County State
- Patoka Lake
- Salamonie Lake
- Spring Mill Lake at Spring Mill State Park
- Summit Lake at Summit Lake State Park
- Versailles Lake at Versailles State Park
- Whitewater Lake at Whitewater State Park
- Worster Lake at Potato Creek State Park
State forests
- Clark State Forest
- Deam Lake SRA
- Ferdinand State Forest
- Greene-Sullivan State Forest
- Harrison-Crawford State Forest
- Jackson-Washington State Forest
- Martin State Forest
- Morgan-Monroe State Forest
- Owen-Putnam State Forest
- Pike State Forest
- Starve Hollow SRA
- Yellowwood State Forest
Division of Outdoor Recreation
- Lakes at Interlake State Recreation Area
- Lakes at Redbird State Recreation Area
- Lakes that do not require a permit
- Lakes located in Fish and Wildlife areas operated by the Division of Fish & Wildlife.
- Indiana streams and rivers, including the Ohio River.
- Natural lakes such as Lake James, Lake Wawasee and Lake Michigan.
- Lakes at National Forests and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuges.
Placing the permit on your boat
The back of the permit provides instructions and an illustration. Place the permit on the left front side (port side) of the boat. Do not place the permit on the boat windshield. If an Indiana Conservation Officer stops your boat, they will be looking for the permit on the boat’s left (port) front side.
BMV LARE fee vs lake permit
Funds from the lake permit are deposited in a dedicated account along with camping, entrance, swimming and program fees. That account supports the operations of state parks, reservoirs and forests and those funds are used only in those locations. These funds are used for staff, equipment, supplies and all of the services provided to site visitors. About two thirds of the operating dollars for state parks and reservoirs comes from these fees. The remaining one-third comes from tax dollars appropriated from the General Fund by the state legislature.
Funds collected at the BMV for boat registration are sent to the Lake and River Enhancement Program in the Division of Fish & Wildlife. The program funds projects and grants to improve Indiana’s publicly accessible lakes, streams, and reservoirs.
Annual Boat Slip Permit
- Regular: $60 per post.
- Improved (seawall or other improvement): $90 per post.
Boat & Bicycle Rentals
Prices listed below are state rental prices. Some properties don’t offer daily rentals or daily rentals on weekends. Check with the park first as some properties may not offer all services.
Kayaks (Single), Canoes, Rowboats
$10 per hour
$30 per day
Kayaks (Double), Paddle Boards, Paddle Boats, Trine SRA Fishing Boats
$15 per hour
$40 per day
Specialty Boats (Limited Quantity)
$20 per hour
No daily rentals
Bicycles
$10 per hour
$30 per day
Rentals are subject to sales tax. Prices may vary where boats are rented by private concessionaires. Deposits are required on boats, canoes, life jackets and bicycles except where hunting or fishing license, driver's license or Annual Entrance Permit may be held in lieu of deposit.
