Forget smooth rides and tranquil waters: some travelers have the need for speed — and rapids! Don’t get us wrong, we love a good picnic and can’t resist the chance to cast a fishing line, but adrenaline wins every so often. This summer, practice your water skiing, hold onto your inner tube, and kick it up a notch at some of the best boating lakes in PA just made for powerboating.
Don’t forget to have your boat registered with the PA Fish & Boat Commission. Out-of-state friends need not worry, it is legal to operate a boat registered in another state on Pennsylvania waters.
1. SHENANGO RIVER LAKE
Hermitage
Maximum Lake Speed: unlimited in portions
Shenango River Lake, one of the best boating lakes near Cleveland, has six boat launch ramps located around the reservoir — an 11-mile-long stretch of water that accommodates powerboats of unlimited horsepower. Feed your need for an adrenaline rush when you try your hand at wakeboarding, water skiing, knee boarding, tubing, wake surfing, air chair, or wakeskating!
2. CURWENSVILLE LAKE
Clearfield
Maximum Lake Speed: no horsepower limitations
You’ll find Curwensville Lake in the Pennsylvania Wilds, but you won’t find any limits on horsepower. At the 790-acre lake, children 12 years of age or younger are required to wear a life jacket when underway on a boat that is 20' or less. Watercraft operators, passengers, sailboarders, water skiers or anyone being towed behind a boat must also wear a life jacket.
3. LAKE AUGUSTA
Sunbury
Maximum Lake Speed: no horsepower limitations
Located at the confluence of the west and north branches of the Susquehanna River, the 3,060-acre Lake Augusta is formed by the world’s largest inflatable dam. When the dam is raised in the summer, the real fun begins! The dam raises the water level at least eight feet and creates four miles of unhindered boating.
4. LAKE WALLENPAUPACK
Hawley
Maximum Lake Speed: 45 miles per hour | no horsepower limitations
Speed and size — Lake Wallenpaupack in the Pocono Mountains is a massive 5,700 acres, 13 miles long, with 52 miles of shoreline, and 60 feet deep at its maximum depth. Jet skiing, wakeboarding, and water skiing are all up for grabs on these waters, so hold on tight!
5. RAYSTOWN LAKE
Hesston
Maximum Lake Speed: no speed or horsepower limitations
Forget about the rules, because there are no horsepower or size restrictions for boats on Raystown Lake in The Alleghenies. This motor boating lake near Penn State features 110 miles of underdeveloped shoreline as most summer homes weren’t built on the water. The shore is lined with trees, making for a unique scene while you cruise by on one of the most boat friendly lakes PA has to offer. Operated by the Army Corp of Engineers, Raystown is up to 200 feet deep.
6. BELTZVILLE LAKE
Lehighton
Maximum Lake Speed: 45 miles per hour
With a 19.8-mile shoreline and nearly 1,000 acres of open water, Beltzville Lake in the Pocono Mountains is the centerpiece of the state park and a hotbed of H2O happiness. Along the northern shore of the lake, visitors can use the three-lane boat launching ramp and dock. Boats are permitted to ride up to 45 miles per hour, so hold on tight — you’ll have plenty of room for waterskiing or tubing!
To learn more about lake vacations, check out the VISIT PA website. Follow us on Facebook, X, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on even more great ideas and places to visit around our state. Don’t forget to sign up for our monthly PA travel e-newsletter so you never miss an update!