Boating in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta: Ramps and Marinas

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a freshwater, tidal maze of rivers, sloughs and flooded islands across six counties. State Parks counts more than 1,000 miles of navigable waterways. Boaters come for bass and striped bass fishing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, houseboating, sailing and slough cruising. Read the Delta overview before your first trip.

Where to launch

• Brannan Island State Recreation Area: a 10-lane ramp on Highway 160 near Rio Vista, with camping.
• Sherman Island County Park: a Sacramento County launch in the western Delta, open sunrise to sunset.
• Antioch Marina: two ramps with three docks on the San Joaquin River; trailers need a launch permit.
• Pittsburg Marina: two free public ramps on New York Slough.
• Paradise Point Marina: two lanes, open 24 hours.
• Sacramento Marina and Miller Park Launch: city ramps at Miller Park and Garcia Bend.
• Stockton Downtown Marina: nearest trailer launches are Morelli Park and Louis Park.
• Rio Vista has a city launch behind City Hall, and Discovery Bay has a public marina ramp.

Harbors and marinas

Tower Park Marina in Lodi has 285 slips, a fuel dock, rentals and valet launching. Owl Harbor Marina is a gated marina on Sevenmile Slough with guest docks. Stockton Downtown Marina has free tie-ups for under two hours. Sacramento Marina is the city's off-river harbor on the Sacramento River, with a 3 mph limit inside and no liveaboards.

Delta communities

Bethel Island holds about two dozen boating facilities and borders Franks Tract, a roughly 3,500-acre flooded island that is among the Delta's best-known fishing spots. Discovery Bay is a residential waterway community. Rio Vista sits beside a Caltrans lift bridge on the Sacramento River.

Rules every boater should know here

• Golden mussels were found near Stockton in October 2024. The state asks all boaters to Clean, Drain and Dry after every outing: remove mud, plants and animals, drain engines, live wells and bilges, and let gear dry. Report sightings to CDFW.
• Speed is limited to 5 mph within 100 feet of bathers and within 200 feet of a swim beach or dock with boats in use.
• Boats under 26 feet with an engine need an engine cut-off switch, and the operator must wear the lanyard above 5 mph.
• Children under 13 must wear a life jacket on vessels 26 feet or less while underway.
• Do not discharge untreated sewage; use a pump-out.
• Sacramento River drawbridges open on signal in posted seasonal hours; outside them, give at least four hours' notice to the Rio Vista Bridge drawtender.
• A California Boater Card is required for all operators of motorized vessels, regardless of age, since January 1, 2025.

Conditions and seasons

Delta water is tidal: flow reverses twice a day as far upstream as Freeport, and current can exceed 2 mph. Wind builds in open stretches like Franks Tract, and Brannan Island is busiest May through October. Hidden hazards include shallows, submerged levee remnants, logs and pipes, and State Parks' aquatic weed control season in 2026 runs March 19 to November 30. Duck hunting takes place near Pittsburg Marina from October through February.

Boat services in the region

Weeds foul props and intakes, so impeller and cooling work is common. Boats kept in warm Delta water need regular hull cleaning, sun and heat wear out gelcoat and canvas, and grounding strikes on shallows keep fiberglass repair shops busy. Because of golden mussels, many boaters also want a thorough wash-down between waterways.