Charters, guided trips and rentals 49
Get out on Lake Lanier with a captain, a guide or a boat of your own for the day. Wake surf and tiki charters, houseboat days, boat, jet ski, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and striper guides, all in one place.
Renting a boat without a captain? Georgia requires a DNR-approved boat rental education certificate before a livery can hand you the keys. Most rental pages never mention it.
Charters
A licensed captain drives; you bring the people.
Wake surf charters 3
A captain, a wake boat and someone to coach you up.
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Ride Wake & Surf Co
Private captained charters on MasterCraft boats out of Lazy Days Marina, for watersports, cruising and anchoring at the usual party spots. A USCG master captain is included and sessions are charged by time rather than per person; prices are not posted. They are not affiliated with the marina itself.
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Lanier Experience
Captained water sports charters plus CraigCat boat rentals, wakesurf and wakeboard lessons on request, and kids summer camps. They work family outings, birthdays, sunset cruises and corporate days, including events at Margaritaville. Rates are not posted and no marina is given.
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Captain Watersports
Wakeboard and wake surf coaching behind a 2022 Malibu, plus a 2021 Harris tritoon delivered to docks inside their service zone. Prices are not posted, and the 2026 rental season starts in May.
Boat charters 4
Captained cruises, sunset runs, sailing and captains for hire on your own boat.
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Lanier Boat Charter
Gainesville-based operation running captained deck boat charters from about $291, a two hour sunset cruise on a 50 passenger boat at around $37 per person, and a nighttime ghost hunt cruise from about $51 per person. They also rent tritoons without a captain and sell prepaid rental cards.
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North Georgia Excursion
Captained Lake Lanier cruises on a double-decker boat with a water slide, plus boat bar-hopping trips and haunted-lake night runs. They never send a boat out without a captain, you meet at a dock agreed in advance, and rates are quoted by phone. Groups up to 20 get two boats and two captains.
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North Georgia Boating Adventures
Supplies USCG licensed captains to run your own boat, a rental or theirs, starting at $65 an hour with a three hour minimum. A two hour sunset cruise is $250 and basic boater training starts at $95. No phone or marina is listed on the site.
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Lord Nelson Charters
Captained sailing charters out of Safe Harbor Aqualand Marina with Captain John Rice. A 2.5 hour sunset or day sail starts at $350 for two people with extra guests $60 each, a four hour half day is $750 for up to six, and a seven hour full day is $1,050. Trips are private and bring your own drinks.
Tiki boat charters 2
Floating tiki bars with a captain aboard.
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Tiki Time Lanier
Private tiki party boat charters with a USCG licensed captain and a first mate included, booked online. Posted rates are $600 for three hours, $800 for four, $1,000 for five and $1,200 for six. The ten-person Pinki Tiki has a blender, an upper lounge with misting, a beer pong table and a paddleboard aboard.
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Lanier Tiki
Private charters on a 40 foot tiki-style power catamaran for up to 22 guests, opened in 2024. They also run Friday and Saturday evening picnic cruises. Prices are not posted; call or text 470-457-1302.
Party yacht charters 1
Big boats for weddings, company outings and big groups.
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Margaritaville Excursion Yachts
Two big party yachts for private groups. The LandShark carries 125 people at $3,700 for four hours and the Margaritaville carries 75 at $3,300, each plus a $600 captain fee. Extra hours are $800 and $650. Booking line (470) 323-3465.
Houseboat charters 1
There are no overnight houseboat rentals on Lanier, but you can charter one for the day with a captain.
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Margaritaville Houseboat Charters
Captained day charters on six houseboats carrying 50 to 70 people, the only houseboats you can book on the lake. Each charter is five hours, four of them on the water, with the captain and fuel included. Rates depend on the boat and are by phone at (470) 323-3482; food and drink go through the resort.
Rentals
Drive it yourself. Most places want a deposit and a valid boater education card.
Houseboat rentals 0
Nobody rents houseboats for overnight trips on Lake Lanier right now. The marina fleet that used to do it has moved to pontoons and day boats. For a day on a houseboat, see houseboat charters above.
Boat rentals 8
Pontoons, tritoons, deck boats and ski boats by the day or the hour.
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Paradise Rental Boats at Port Royale Marina
Wide rental fleet at Port Royale Marina on the north end, from waverunners up to a 40 foot boat. Starting rates are $229 for a waverunner, $279 for a 20 foot pontoon, $389 for a 25 foot tritoon, $399 for a deck boat or sport tritoon, and $609 to $749 for the 32 to 40 foot cruisers and yachts. They do not employ captains, but the rental office can connect you with private captains who work the lake.
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Sunrise Cove Marina Boat Rentals
Small rental fleet of four boats around 23 feet at Sunrise Cove Marina off Flat Creek Road, two tritoons and two pontoons seating six to ten people. Rates are not posted on the site and booking goes through their online reservation page.
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Harbor Landing at Margaritaville / Lanier Islands
Boat rental dock at the Margaritaville resort on Lanier Islands, with 22 to 28 foot tritoons, a 30 foot picnic pontoon and a 36 foot party barge, plus tow tubes. Rates are not posted online; the dock runs 9 am to 8 pm from May through Labor Day and 9 am to 5 pm the rest of the year.
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Aqua Sports Adventures
Rents 21 to 24 foot pontoons plus deck boats and bowrider ski boats out of Holiday Marina, with tubes, water mats, floats and coolers as add-ons. Rentals are self-drive with no captain offered, rates are not posted, and you need the DNR-approved boat rental education certificate before you go out.
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Fletcher’s Paddle Shack
Rents pontoon boats out of Charleston Park at $399 for six hours and $499 for eight, with multi-day rates from $800 for two days up to $1,995 for a week. A security deposit is required, reservations are paid in full up front and there are no refunds.
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Lanier Boat Rental and Tackle
Boat rental and tackle shop based at Bald Ridge Marina off Bald Ridge Marina Road. Rates are not posted online, so you call for availability and pricing.
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Bait Shack Water Sports
Rents pontoons, tritoons and fishing boats rigged with rod holders and fish finders, serving the whole lake out of Cumming. There is no posted address or price list, so you call for a quote and arrange where to meet.
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Captain Watersports
Wakeboard and wake surf coaching behind a 2022 Malibu, plus a 2021 Harris tritoon delivered to docks inside their service zone. Prices are not posted, and the 2026 rental season starts in May.
Jet ski rentals 3
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Lanier Jetski & Watersports
Jet ski, Sea-Doo jet boat, kayak and paddleboard rentals from LandShark Landing on Lanier Islands, next to the LandShark Bar and Grill. Jet skis start around $109 and gas is billed to the card on file after the ride; each ski seats two adults up to 400 pounds, or one adult and a child 8 or older.
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Lanier Jetskis
Yamaha VX 110 waverunner rentals picked up on Lanier Islands Parkway. Posted rates are $160 for two hours, $240 for four hours and $375 for eight hours, plus tax and fuel, with a $300 security deposit. Each ski carries two passengers up to 400 pounds total.
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Lanier Luxury Jet Ski Rentals
Three jet skis for rent, two 2025 Yamaha VX Deluxes and a 2024 Sea-Doo GTI SE 130, all with sound systems, at $450 for a full day. Half days were not being offered when checked, and the pickup spot is arranged by call or text.
Kayak rentals 6
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Don Carter State Park Kayak Rentals
State park at the far north end of the lake that rents kayaks from its visitor center at $24 for four hours or $40 for eight. You reserve at the center when you arrive.
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Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club
Club at the 1996 Olympic venue on Clarks Bridge Road, running recreational paddling, a beginner racing league, a sprint racing team and dragon boat crews. It also rents to the public in season, with a single kayak around $20 an hour or $30 for two hours, doubles and canoes a little more, and non-members paying $20 for a moonlight paddle.
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Festive Water Paddlesports
Paddle shop off Highway 369 near GA 400 renting single and tandem kayaks, paddleboards and Big Joe float pads. Four hour rates start around $50 for a single kayak or a board, $70 for a tandem and $20 for a float pad, plus a $10 delivery fee. They drop gear at one of seven parks within a few miles, or deliver weekend and week-long packages to lake rental houses.
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Fletcher’s Paddle Shack Kayak and SUP
Paddleboard and kayak rentals right at Charleston Park, so you carry the boat a few feet to the water. Rates are $35 for two hours, $55 for four, $75 for six, $95 for eight and $100 all day. They also rent pontoon boats from the same spot.
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Lanier Jetski & Watersports Kayak and SUP
Kayak and paddleboard rentals at LandShark Landing on Lanier Islands, open from 10 am starting April 1, with hours shortened in bad weather. You pick up next to the LandShark Bar and Grill, where the same operation rents jet skis and boats.
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North GA Paddling
Delivery-only paddleboard and kayak rentals anywhere around Lake Lanier, with delivery, paddle and life vest included in the price. Paddleboards are $45 for four hours and $65 for eight, single kayaks $55 and $75, tandems $75 and $95. There is no shop to go to.
Paddleboard rentals 4
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Festive Water Paddlesports
Paddle shop off Highway 369 near GA 400 renting single and tandem kayaks, paddleboards and Big Joe float pads. Four hour rates start around $50 for a single kayak or a board, $70 for a tandem and $20 for a float pad, plus a $10 delivery fee. They drop gear at one of seven parks within a few miles, or deliver weekend and week-long packages to lake rental houses.
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Fletcher’s Paddle Shack Kayak and SUP
Paddleboard and kayak rentals right at Charleston Park, so you carry the boat a few feet to the water. Rates are $35 for two hours, $55 for four, $75 for six, $95 for eight and $100 all day. They also rent pontoon boats from the same spot.
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Lanier Jetski & Watersports Kayak and SUP
Kayak and paddleboard rentals at LandShark Landing on Lanier Islands, open from 10 am starting April 1, with hours shortened in bad weather. You pick up next to the LandShark Bar and Grill, where the same operation rents jet skis and boats.
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North GA Paddling
Delivery-only paddleboard and kayak rentals anywhere around Lake Lanier, with delivery, paddle and life vest included in the price. Paddleboards are $45 for four hours and $65 for eight, single kayaks $55 and $75, tandems $75 and $95. There is no shop to go to.
Boat clubs 5
Pay a membership instead of a daily rate, then book boats from a shared fleet.
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Freedom Boat Club Lake Lanier
A membership club rather than a day rental, where you join and then reserve from a shared fleet of fishing boats, flat boats, pontoons and cruisers. The Lake Lanier home base is Holiday Marina in Buford, with a second location at Bald Ridge Marina in Cumming, and membership also covers clubs in other states.
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Carefree Boat Club of Lake Lanier
Membership club based at Aquamarina Lazy Days with 18 to 28 foot pontoons, deck boats, center consoles and cruisers kept in covered slips. You reserve online, the boat is cleaned and fueled when you arrive, and membership includes a safety course, on-water training and reciprocal use at other Carefree locations.
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Carefree Boat Club at Lazy Days Marina
Membership boat club at Lazy Days Marina on the south end, where members book from a shared fleet instead of renting by the day. Lake Lanier is one location in a multi-state network.
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Nautical Boat Club – Lanier Islands
Boat club at Lanier Islands with tiered Gold and Platinum memberships, wake and surf boats including Axis, and dockhands who load the gear. Life jackets, tubes, boards and skis come with the boat.
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SailTime Lake Lanier
Shared-use sailing program where you get guaranteed monthly time on an assigned sailboat and they handle upkeep, cleaning and storage. Owners can put a new boat into the managed fleet and offset costs with other members’ use. Boats sit at marinas in Buford, Flowery Branch, Cumming and Gainesville.
Guided trips
Someone who knows the lake shows you around.
Guided fishing 14
Licensed guides for striper and spotted bass. Day rates run roughly $450 to $825.
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Jeff Blair Striper Guides
Striper trips with Jeff Blair and his guides, fishing the Gainesville, Oakwood and Flowery Branch water. A five hour half day is $600 and an eight hour full day is $825 for up to four guests, with all bait, tackle and gear provided. Spotted and largemouth bass come along incidentally.
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No Excuses Striper Fishing
Captain Brad Whitehead guides out of Gainesville for stripers, spotted and largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, walleye and gar. Listed trips start around $450 for a one-on-one bass session and $550 for an afternoon striper run, up to $650 for longer family trips. Equipment is provided and anglers 16 and up buy their own Georgia license.
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The Striper Guy
USCG captain Tim Solyst fishes stripers on the north end and will pick you up at your own dock or meet you at Gainesville Marina, Little Hall Park or Vann’s Tavern ramp. All tackle, bait and equipment are provided and rates are quoted by phone.
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ProFishing Guide Services
Guide Rob Morris meets clients on Old Flowery Branch Road in Oakwood for striper, spotted bass, catfish and gar trips. Most trips start at $600, including learn-to-fish, morning striper, trophy striper and family options, and a sunset trip starts at $575. Booking is through the website and the Georgia license is bought separately.
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Backwoods Fishing Guide
Multi-lake outfit that runs Lanier striper trips at $550 for five hours, $600 for six and $700 for eight, with $50 for each adult past the first two. All professional tackle and live bait, usually blueback herring or gizzard shad, are included. They also guide Carters Lake and Lake Nottely.
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Catching Not Fishing
Clay Cunningham guides Lanier for stripers, with spotted bass and crappie as options, fishing from center console boats. Rates are on a separate page rather than the front of the site, so call or check before booking.
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Georgia Lake Fishing
Captain Wes Carlton guides Lanier along with Burton, Rabun, Nottely, Chatuge and the Soque River, targeting spotted, largemouth, striped and hybrid bass, crappie, walleye, yellow perch and brown trout. Rates are on a separate bookings page and trips are arranged by phone.
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Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Guide Service
Spotted bass guide who teaches while you fish, covering topwater, swimbaits, finesse and electronics, with four hour, five hour summer morning and eight hour options. Trip rates are on a separate page; he also sells weekly video fishing reports at $26.95 and a $34.95 a month subscription with map-marked locations.
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Lake Lanier Striper Snipers
Captain Matthew Haynes runs striper trips that include bait, tackle and gear. Rates are listed on a separate trips page, and the fishing license is not mentioned as included.
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Lanier Spots
Ryan Coleman guides for spotted bass and will work from your own boat and gear, coaching you on reading sonar and charts and finding fish. No phone or rate list is posted, so contact goes through the website.
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Mark’s Guide Service / The Striper Guide
USCG captain Mark Smithwick runs five and eight hour striper trips for up to four people, with tackle and bait included and pickup from Lanier docks. Rates come by phone and a $100 deposit holds the date. He also guides Carters Lake.
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Out Of Line Fishing Charter
Striper charters with guide Joshua Pile, booked by phone or email, with custom and corporate trips available. Rates and what comes with the trip are not posted, so you have to ask.
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Striper Steve’s Fishing Charters
Striper charters run year round by the guide known as Striper Steve. Typical fish run 8 to 25 pounds. Rates and what is included are not posted, so call to work out a trip.
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The Striper Experience
USCG captain Ron Mullins runs striper trips with all bait, rods, reels, tackle and ice provided. Four hours is $475 and six hours is $550 for up to two people, with each additional angler 16 or older $50. Boats take five, and you buy your own Georgia fishing license.
Guided kayaking 1
No company runs regular guided kayak tours on Lanier yet. The canoe and kayak club is the best way to paddle with people who know the water.
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Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club
Club at the 1996 Olympic venue on Clarks Bridge Road, running recreational paddling, a beginner racing league, a sprint racing team and dragon boat crews. It also rents to the public in season, with a single kayak around $20 an hour or $30 for two hours, doubles and canoes a little more, and non-members paying $20 for a moonlight paddle.
Guided excursions 4
Ghost tours, wildlife cruises and bar-hopping runs.
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Lanier Ghost Tours
The Ghosts of Lake Lanier boat tour, about three hours with a sandbar stop, from $60 a person. Tours run mostly in late summer and fall, and private groups can book their own.
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Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Lake Cruises
The nonprofit takes groups out on its floating classroom catamaran for wildlife and water quality cruises. These are scheduled events, such as the spring bird cruise, rather than on-demand charters, so watch their events page.
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North Georgia Excursion
Captained Lake Lanier cruises on a double-decker boat with a water slide, plus boat bar-hopping trips and haunted-lake night runs. They never send a boat out without a captain, you meet at a dock agreed in advance, and rates are quoted by phone. Groups up to 20 get two boats and two captains.
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Lanier Boat Charter
Gainesville-based operation running captained deck boat charters from about $291, a two hour sunset cruise on a 50 passenger boat at around $37 per person, and a nighttime ghost hunt cruise from about $51 per person. They also rent tritoons without a captain and sell prepaid rental cards.
Lessons
Wake and sailing lessons 4
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Ride Wake & Surf Co Wake Lessons
Wakeboard, wake surf and foil lessons on a MasterCraft out of Lazy Days Marina, or behind your own boat, taught by a USCG master captain who is also a professional watersports instructor. Sessions are charged by time rather than per person and they run kids watersports camps in summer; prices are not posted.
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Pull Pro Shop
Wake shop on Keith Bridge Road teaching wakeboard, wakesurf and hydrofoil at $150 an hour behind your own boat or $220 an hour behind theirs. Lesson slots were showing sold out when checked, which is normal late in the season.
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Lanier Sailing Academy
ASA sailing school at Holiday Marina, running since 1969. A four hour group sailing outing is $150 a person, ASA 101 basic keelboat is $650, ASA 102 is $500 for non-members, and the coastal cruising and bareboat courses run $900 each for non-members. Their Passport Sailing Club adds unlimited boat use, clinics and races for members.
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SunRise Sailing Academy
ASA accredited sailing school working out of SunRise Cove Marina, teaching ASA 101 through 105 plus cruising catamaran and docking courses. Prices are not posted; they say a private lesson costs about what other schools charge for a group lesson, with a discount for two or more students.
Know a charter, guide or rental we’re missing? Add it to the directory. Listings are free.