Okoboji Boat Works

MD RASHEDUL HASAN

2023-10

We had a cruise trip there with a good. Ambience and overall environment was good.

James Petryka

2021-05

We rented a pontoon (Crystal), a Crownline (speed boat), and a couple wave runners during our visit to Okoboji. We were in town for a week and after renting the pontoon and a wave runner, a few days later we decided to go back and do it again. The wave runners are super fun and the whole family had a great time! Everyone at Okoboji Boat Works was friendly and extremely helpful.

Robin Suing

2020-05

So we really only spent time in the Fish House, since it's January and that was about the only thing open in the area. There was a woodburning stove in the corner, which gave the instant COZY feeling when walking in. It was like being a souped up ice fishing shack. Our son rented some ice skates to go out on the lake which was a blast for him. We could have some libations, popcorn, and do some fishing right from inside the shack. We had a great time!

Landon McCluskey

2020-05

These guys are a top-notch operation. Effortless to work with, friendly, and accommodating. We had hooked up our rented tube wrong so it got deflated while pulling. We brought it back and they replaced it in a heartbeat. Picking up and dropping off was very very easy and they answered all our questions with ease and didn't make me feel bad for asking a stupid question or two.

Karen Bell

2023-07

We did the sunset cruise. The weather was terrible. Wish they would of rescheduled. It poured the whole time. But we had an amazing bartender Dawson. He was the best. He made the boat ride so much better. And we got rain checks. So it was a win win .

Vince Mancuso

2023-08

We did a walk-in request for a boat rental, honestly just hoping for something. They didn't have any speed-boats—which we understood was a risk—so we took out a pontoon.It was a great way to spend two hours, and the memories with our kids will last for years. Honestly, I would recommend anyone take more time, you can easily spend four hours on the lake.I also think it's worth noting the teenage boys running the docks were very professional. Being a man in my 30s who's never driven a boat, it could have been easy to feel lost and more than a little self conscious, but the young men were helpful and respectful.

HeathMotorSports6

2023-09

Terrible from start to finish. On the way down there, they called and said that one of their workers smashed the windshield out of the boat. So we agreed to still take it out with a discounted price. That discounted price was confirmed 3 times, that phone call, when we checked in, and then when we brought the boat back. Well we were still charged full price which ended up being about $700. Which that would be totally fine if it had a windshield and was remotely clean at all. When we got to the boat, it wasn't even wiped down and there was trash in the boat from the previous people. Now our group is extremally easy going, not much annoys us, but these guys did a great job at that. If you cant get a boat rental in Okoboji anywhere else than here, simply dont go on the water. Not an adult in site there, just a bunch of highschoolers sucking on vapes (and again, this is coming from a very easy going group of late 20s-mid 30s fun people).

Kari Harlow

2023-09

We reserved 2 boats, different times. Both times Blake called and cancelled our reservation stating that the website is wrong and they could not accommodate our reservations. We asked to speak to a manager, which he stated he was one. Asking what our issue is. There was nothing he could do, per his own words. We do not recommend!

Donta G Nut Mckenzie Peanut Brice

2023-05

Me, my wife, and our Cane Corso's had a great time on our speed boat.

Ryan Tompsett

2023-09

Boats were beat up and dirty, if you hit something and damage the Prop- they charge upwards of $438 for a prop that cost them $80 they get refurbished from down the road. I had this experience-I admit was my fault, I hit the bottom and damaged the prop. But when I saw them replace that within 10mins w/a refurbished Prop that cost $80 that's flat-out wrong to charge a customer $430. They said that happens twice a day. So I will never go back. The boats are beat up and dirty anyway. Buyer beware! Go somewhere else!

K&K Masonry, Inc.

2022-05

Great service, wonderful employees and great location on the lake for your all your boating needs! Rented a massive pontoon for a employee appreciation end of summer boat cruise.

Crystal

2021-05

Easy process to rent a boat. Had an absolute blast on the lake. Great weather that day.

Toolman

2022-05

It started off very rocky as out boat kept dieing when we throttled up. We could only go half speed tops with the pontoon, prob about 15 to 20 mph. They looked it over and were unable to fix and unfortunately had no other options for us. We wanted a boat for the day, but since this was not what we expected we negotiated a fair price. Staff was very professional and apologetic especially the manager. Overall a good experience and would still rent again.

Darcy Rice

2023-09

Great options to rent a boat. Young folks on the docks , but nice group of young kids working there .The mgr Blake was professional and fair

Harley Kraft

2022-05

We rented a pontoon there for three older couples. Every employee that we met was courteous and helpful. The pontoon was clean, well-equipped and comfortable. It was a good experience, and a great way to cruise the shore and see how the other ten percent lives!

Zach Zingmark

2022-05

I booked the 5pm Sunday night Siesta Cruise for my family (2 adults, 2 Kids age 2 and 5). We had a blast. The boat has a self serve cooler that carries beer, wine, and pop. You can help yourself the entire 1hr 15min boat ride. The tour takes you along West Lake Okoboji and the driver was very knowledgeable about the area and local hot spots. The boat is also equipped with an upper deck. You can climb up top and enjoy the view or lay out in the sun. Highly recommend. We will certainly look to book this cruise again in the future.

Lesley Ahrens

2023-05

Tara is so wonderfully organized, professional, and easy to work with. Over the course of a weekend we rented the Jezebelle, the Debbie, the Miss Chievious, and the Conroy. We truly had no issues and have no complaints. We specifically worked with Abby, Rod, and Blake, among others, and found all staff to be professional and accommodating.

Alina Wynn

2023-05

The pontoon was extremely out dated- doors falling off, no Bluetooth or aux cord, leaking rain cover. This is the third year in a row we’ve rented a boat in Okoboji- the first year it was from here and it was great, second year was not from here and it was even better than the first year, and this year we came back here and it was the worst experience we’ve had. I would think with spending nearly $600 on a boat we could get on that’s not falling apart and one with at least an aux cord. We will not be using Okoboji boat works again.

ericka green

2022-05

Unfortunately we had a horrible experience. We decided to take our group out on a cruise they had. One of the bartenders was more interested in taking shots than helping customers. It became clear that this employee was "buzzed" as this person couldn't get drinks right. Several people were noticing and commenting on the fact this bartender was drunk. This same bartender also mocked someone in our party for drinking water and requesting an NA beer. The bartender also snapped at someone else. It was just a disappointment to see someone getting drunk on the job and neglecting customers/their job. Maybe this is something allowed on this type of thing but in my opinion it was very distasteful. The rest of the crew was great! Due to this I won't be riding again... hopefully when you book you get two good bartenders not just one.

Breann Essing

2022-05

Not even worth 1 star! Nothing but problems before we even left the marina! The boat was not what we were led to believe we were getting, had a tube added on without our knowledge or consent. The boat died on us on the lake, we called them and they told us we had to much weight on the boat. Returned the boat to get a phone call saying we have to replace a prop at $330! Not impressed at all, the staff was rude and started swearing at my niece when she called them! Will NEVER rent from this place again!

Sharon Housh

2020-05

Do not use! Do not use. We rented a pontoon, Oliver, it did not have an anchor strong enough to hold the boat when anchored to use lily pad, for which we paid extra. Because of the wrong weight anchor, the boat drifted into shallow water. Which by the way was where they told us to go! Miller Landing. Also, the workers told us after we were stuck, “No problem, that happened to me this weekend. Our anchors don’t work. It’s not your fault” Then, we were charged over $300 for damage to blades. There was also no ladder on the boat. We tried pushing out of the shallow water, in which 3 adults received cuts on their feet. I will be reporting these safety issues to authorities if management does not reconsider and refund extra charges. It was there job to have the correct equipment! Also, they did not have life jackets to fit kids and did not seem to care. Now I see other reviews where they did the same thing to others, charging after the fact, for damage. SCAM is right!

Margrita Mayo

2022-05

My friends and family rented a boat here for my Bachelorette party. We rented the 20’ Cobalt that fits up to 11 people. When we went out on the lake, we noticed how slow the boat was and we couldn’t do tubing because of if. About 30 minutes in, the boat randomly shut off (did turn back on), so we called to let them know so we could possibly get a new boat. They told us it’s because we have “too many people” as we only had 8 people on the boat. When we got off the boat, we went back to our campground, and an hour later they called us. AN HOUR LATER. They told us the propeller was broken and they were charging us $330 to fix it. They said they just replaced it yesterday brand new. We asked that since we called and said something was wrong with the boat in the first place, if they could give us a discount. They told us no since that problem of the boat randomly turning off had nothing to do with the propeller. As I read reviews, I see this happens often. Please do not go with this company and take your money elsewhere. We did not budget for an extra $330.

Kristin Lampe

2020-05

Don't waste your money. Rented a pontoon for the family. We had reserved a pontoon with a canopy (because we had grandparents and small children that needed shade) but were placed in one without. The kids on the dock were polite and eventually we were able to switch, but only after we also found the radio didn't work. When we got out onto the lake and tried to give it a little gas there was no gas to give. We called the marina and they said, "oh, yeah, they only go 5-7mph for liability reasons." ALL their pontoons only go 5-7mph. So if you like puttering around in the no-wake zone, then great. If you want to cross open water, then best of luck!!! Now we know why they had plenty of pontoons to rent. Go to Oak Hill Marina for a better experience!

Cavin Duffin

2019-05

BEWARE!!!! If you want to rent from this place, take a video and pictures of the boat and prop before you leave. They showed us that our boat had a damaged prop before we left. They said it wouldn't be a problem and for us to stay in the middle of the bay. We did exactly that and when we returned the boat, they claimed we damaged the prop even more. I told the employee that we never went in shallow water and I am a very experienced boater. I told him there was no way we hit anything due to where we went and what we did on the water. They said we owe $250 and we are lucky because they should've charged us $1200. I don't understand how an establishment can claim something that was already damaged was even more damaged. They had no proof but because we signed for this scam, we had to pay it. I'm an honest man but this was a COMPLETE SCAM. They wanted a new prop before the end of the season and we were the lucky renters who got to pay for it!!! DON'T RISK IT WITH THIS BUSINESS.

Libby Bennett

2022-05

No use in booking in advance! Our driver was canceled a couple hours before our reservation time and we weren’t about to risk having to be liable considering other recent reviews noting they were charged for damages. Save your time, money and frustration and just book elsewhere!

Michael Turner

2018-05

We rented a pontoon on Labor Day weekend and it was our favorite part. The staff were friendly and helpful. Plus, there's a nice shop with some gifts, essentials like sun block, beer, snacks and clothing.The boat was exactly as advertised and worked flawlessly. Our kids had a great time and in two hours we toured all 5 lakes around Okaboji. We'll be back next summer.

Diane Lindaman Iaria

2019-05

We have been renting boats here for 4 years. This year we rented a pontoon and a tube. When I spoke to the woman to rent the boat we specifically said we wanted to take the kids tubing. We do this every year and said we wanted the same boat as last year. When we got there. Our boat didn’t have a tube. We reminded them that we had ordered a tube. When we got on the boat the gentleman told us this boat wasn’t used to pull tubes because it was so slow. He said it should be fine. We thought we would give it a try. We drove way out to where it was calmest (something the guy suggested) and tried it out. The boat was so slow that the tube would sink underwater in the front and flip over every time. We called from the boat and were told too bad, we had taken the boat and tube. So we did stay out for half the time trying to pull this kids with no luck. When we returned, the lady was so rude and disrespectful. We will NEVER rent there again. They have lost our respect and money.

Matt R

2021-05

Rented a Crowline boat (3 months in advance) for an afternoon while visiting the area. Was not told boat works to pick up so assumed it would be where I called “Parks Marina” that’s we’re to go. Arrived at Boat Works 25 mins after rental time due to miscommunications and was charged for that time... I didn’t mind as the boat was nice, the Maui May was fun and the afternoon on the lake was priceless!!! Thank you Parks Marina for the overall great afternoon !

Amber Libke

2021-05

We were given the megalodon, it was very slow, no auning for sun coverage, and it was very dirty. When we boarded it had puke on the side, beer and bottle cans left in the boat, spilt beer, none of the doors latched shut, and it started leaking before we even left the dock. They did discount us down too 100 dollars for the boat rental and gas, the cruise was nice but took around 45 mins to cross one section of the lake. If you are given this boat I would say to reschedule for a different day!

Michael C.

2019-05

Well worth the dollars spent. Attentive waitress. Excellent views of the lake. The food in every aspect is of the quality you would expect for the price paid. The Chef was highly skilled and hit it on all points. We always stop at #TheWaterfront when we visit Okoboji. I hope you experience the same.