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Wingra Park and Boat Livery

Wingra Park and Boat Livery
Address: 824 Knickerbocker St.
Hours: 4:00am - 10:00pm
Park Type: Neighborhood
Acres: 11.76
Restroom: Yes
Drinking Water: Yes
Shoreline On: Lake Wingra

Park Details

Wingra Park, located on Lake Wingra, is popular for picnics and fishing and features play equipment, and a multipurpose field, and watercraft rentals.

In partnership with Wingra Boats visitors can rent canoes, kayaks and paddle boats. In addition, they also offer a small boat marina for storing a canoe or kayak, a kids camp, memberships and numerous community events. Bring your family down and enjoy the day boating or fishing on Lake Wingra. 

Alternate addresses:  876 Terry Place, 2425 Monroe Street

At this Park

  • Madison Parks ranks #1 in the nation for the number of basketball hoops per resident, come check out the hoops in your neighborhood! Most of the basketball courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you are planning a new league or tournament RESERVE ONLINE

    View all Basketball Courts

    • Wingra Park and Boat Livery - Basketball Court

      Surface: Asphalt
      Lighted: No
      Number of Courts:

  •  

    Accessing the Lakes 

    A daily or annual permit is required year-round at designated sites to launch a motorboat, sailboat, iceboat, canoe, kayak, or ATVs. Piers are available from spring through fall. Installation and removal are dependent on the weather and lake conditions.  

    • LAKE MONONA: Law, Olbrich, Olin 
    • LAKE MENDOTA: Marshall, Spring Harbor, Tenney, Warner 

    2024 Fees 

    Daily $8
    Annual - Dane County Resident $50
    Annual - Non-Resident $60
    Annual - Dane County Senior (65+) & Disabled $25
    Annual - Non-Res Senior (65+) & Disabled $30
    Military/Veteran $25
    Duplicate/Replacement $20

    PURCHASE PERMIT
    2024 permit is valid through March 31, 2025. 

    Lake Access Permit

    • A daily or annual permit is required year-round to launch a motorboat, sailboat, iceboat, canoe, kayak, or ATV.
    • See Ordinance 8.215 for details.
    • Purchase permit ONLINE or by calling during regular office hours. 
    • Iron rangers are NOT available for onsite cash purchasing. 
    • The permit is valid for the issue year through March 31 of the following year.
    • Permits for the following year may be purchased starting November 1 of the previous year. 
    • The permit should be displayed on the inside driver's side windshield. 
    • The permit is valid at designated launch sites throughout Dane County. MAP 

    Olbrich Boat Launch, Boaters Advised to Use Caution 
    Boaters are advised to use caution navigating the narrowed channel where the Starkweather Creek meets Lake Monona due to low lake levels and creek sediment. Channel markers are installed by Dane County Land and Water Resources to assist boaters. Boaters may consider launching at alternate sites such as Olin, Tonyawatha or Winnequah. Lake Access permit holder may use any of the designated launch sites throughout Dane County. 

    Launch Area Parking Rules and Tips (Ordinance 8.16)

    • Long stalls are for parking vehicles with trailers only. 
    • Regular-size stalls are for parking vehicles with no trailer only. 
    • Parking on the grass is prohibited.
    • When the launch parking lot is full, you must find an alternative launch site
    • Violators are subject to a citation. 

    View all Boat Launches

    • Wingra Park and Boat Livery - Boat Launch

      Location: 824 Knickerbocker St.
      Lake Access Permit Required: No

      Notes: No trailer parking available.
  • Madison Parks offers various locations to launch a canoe or kayak and is allowed at all of Madison Parks motorboat launch sites. Additionally, the parks listed below have a specially designated area for launch.

    If you are looking to store your kayak or canoe in a park, please visit the storage webpage.
      View all Canoe & Kayak Launch Sites

  • Interested in getting out on one of Madison's lakes but you don't have your own watercraft? No problem! We have partners at locations throughout the city offering these great lake amenities!

    View all Canoe & Kayak Rental

    • Madison Boats at Wingra Park

      Location: 824 Knickerbocker St
      Telephone: (608) 233-5332
      More Information: Madison Boats at Wingra Park
      Notes: Available: Canoes, single and tandem kayaks, stand up paddleboards, paddle boats, water mats, fishing boats and pontoon boats
  • Wisconsin residents aged 16 years old or older need a fishing license to fish in any waters of the state. Nonresidents aged 16 years old or older need a nonresident fishing license to fish in Wisconsin waters with hook and line. Visit the Wisconsin DNR website for more information.
     
    Every year, the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June and the third Saturday and Sunday in January, are designated as Free Fishing Weekends throughout the state of Wisconsin. Residents and nonresidents of all ages can fish without a fishing license (and trout stamps) over these two days.  Visit WI DNR

    An accessible pier is located in Vilas Park, on Lake Wingra. From WI DNR: Lake Wingra is a 336-acre lake with a maximum depth of 14 feet. Fish include Musky, Panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye. 

    MESSAGE FROM PUBLIC HEALTH MADISON & DANE COUNTY: Eating fish can be a delicious, low-cost, and nutritious meal. However, eating certain fish can also be harmful because they may contain mercury, PCBs, or PFAS. See PHMDC for more information. 
    View all Fishing

  • With more than 175 playgrounds throughout Madison, you are never too far from a playground. According to the Trust for Public Land, Madison ranks #1 in the nation for the number of playgrounds available. The traditional swings and slides are always an option, as are new play elements and fully accessible playgrounds. 

    PLAYGROUNDS FOR EVERYONE
    Through the Madison Parks Foundation initiative, Madison Parks offers accessible playgrounds in Brittingham, Elver, Rennebohm and Warner parks.  An accessible playground is anticipated in Reindahl Park in the near future.

    PLAYGROUND REPLACEMENTS: HOW AND WHEN
    Madison Parks is responsible for maintaining more than 175 playgrounds and began a system-wide replacement initiative in 2013. With current staff and funding resources, replacements are scheduled to continue through 2033. Playgrounds are routinely inspected to assess the equipment's conditions and repair any safety concerns. Based on the age of the equipment and current conditions, each is given an audit score. The number of playgrounds replaced each year is based on budget allocations, staffing resources, and using the current playground audit score for prioritization. 

    REPLACEMENT PROCESS: NEIGHBORHOOD INPUT
    At the start of the replacement process, notices are sent to the District Alder, neighborhood association representatives, and surrounding residential addresses. Information is also posted to the project website. Generally, two public meetings are held to review surfacing and equipment options and make final selections.

    If you have questions about a specific playground or see something broken, please let us know. 

    View all Playgrounds

    • Wingra Park and Boat Livery - Playground

  • OPEN RESTROOMS
    Listed on this page are OPEN restrooms (daily 10am to 8pm). All other restrooms are CLOSED. All restrooms will open for the season on April 19. 

    Restrooms throughout the park system are open seasonally from approximately mid/late April through early to late October. The systemwide process of opening/closing restrooms takes several weeks and depends on the weather and staffing. 

    WINTER
    Several parks offering winter recreation, also provide restrooms - indoor or portable, when the amenity is listed as open during the winter season. Please check Winter Fun for the status of winter recreation at a specific park. 

    YEAR-ROUND

    • Cherokee Marsh Conservation Park - North
    • Elver Park enclosed shelter
    • Owen Conservation Park
    • Tenney Park at the John Wall Family Pavilion
    • Warner Park boat launch 

    View all Restrooms

    • Wingra Park at Madison Boats

      OPEN

      Notes: Restrooms are open when Madison Boats is open. Hours vary, see www.madisonboats.com

  • Warner Park offers a specialized field lined for soccer with lighting and bleacher seating. This field is uniquely managed to provide a better playing surface. Higher quality mowing at a lower height to promote better underfoot conditions and using a specialized turf species and irrigation, as well as fertilizer, aerification, weed prevention and watering to promote a denser turf canopy.

    Multipurpose fields, used often for soccer are open fields with no game-specific design or amenity. These are available throughout the city on a first-come, first-served basis or reserved for a lesser fee than a specialized field. See Multipurpose Field for more information. 

    View all Soccers

    • Wingra Park - Soccer

      Bleachers: No
      Lighted: No
      Setup: Youth
      Type: Game

About This Park

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