On the water

Where to rent a boat or jet ski on Lake Minnetonka.

By CJ Norman, licensed Minnesota Realtor · Updated September 2026

Key takeaways

Boat rentals on Lake Minnetonka come from marinas in Spring Park and Excelsior, plus membership boat clubs for people who want repeat use.
Bay Rentals in Mound rents jet skis from its Ship's Store near Surfside Park and puts them in the water at its beachfront.
Reserve summer weekends early, and confirm the operator age rules, deposit, fuel policy, and the Minnesota watercraft operator requirement before arriving.

Lake Minnetonka is more than 14,000 acres of connected bays, and renting is the easiest way to see it before owning anything. Most visitors want one of three things: a pontoon for a slow afternoon, a ski or surf boat for the sport, or a jet ski for a couple of fast hours.

CJ Norman lives in Mound and boats the western bays constantly. The notes below reflect how renting actually works out here, not a directory listing.

Renting a pontoon or powerboat

Sunset Boat Yards in Spring Park, formerly Rockvam Boat Yards, is the long-standing full service operation on the west end of the lake and the closest option for anyone staying near Mound, Minnetrista, or Navarre. Excelsior Bay and the Shorewood shoreline hold the other cluster of rental and marina activity, which suits visitors coming from the south metro.

Half-day and full-day pontoon rentals are the most common booking. Rates move with season, boat size, and horsepower, so confirm the current price, the security deposit, and whether fuel is billed separately when reserving.

Renting a jet ski in Mound

Bay Rentals operates from its Ship's Store at 2630 Commerce Boulevard in Mound, next to Surfside Park and Beach on Cooks Bay. The store sells ice cream and snacks, and the machines are put in the water at Bay Rentals' beachfront.

Cooks Bay is a good place to start a ride. It is open enough to be fun and close enough to Priest Bay, Harrisons Bay, and the west arm that a two-hour rental still covers real water.

Boat clubs instead of rentals

For anyone planning to be on the water more than a few times a season, a membership boat club is usually the better math. Clubs operating on Lake Minnetonka provide reservation access to a fleet, with no slip, no winter storage, and no maintenance.

Many buyers use a club season as a trial run. It answers a useful question before buying a lake home: is the household actually on the water most weekends, or four times a summer?

What every renter should confirm

Minnesota requires a watercraft operator's permit for many younger operators, and rental companies apply their own minimum age and licensing rules on top of that. Ask before booking rather than at the dock.

Confirm the deposit, the fuel policy, the return time, the weather cancellation policy, and whether a pull sport such as tubing or wakeboarding is allowed on that specific boat.

Where to rent on Lake Minnetonka

Locations and offerings. Confirm current rates, hours, and age rules directly with each provider.
Provider	Area	What it rents	Good to know
Bay Rentals	Mound, Cooks Bay	Jet skis	Ship's Store near Surfside Park; machines go in at its beachfront
Sunset Boat Yards	Spring Park	Boats and pontoons, marina services	Formerly Rockvam Boat Yards; closest full service yard to Mound
Excelsior Bay marinas	Excelsior and Shorewood	Boats and pontoons	Convenient for visitors coming from the south and east metro
Membership boat clubs	Multiple Lake Minnetonka docks	Fleet access by reservation	Better value than rentals for repeat summer use

Official rules worth reading first

Rental companies handle the boat. These agencies set the rules on the water.

Lake Minnetonka living

Renting now, thinking about owning later?

CJ Norman lives in Mound and boats these bays. He can talk through which part of the lake fits how a family actually wants to spend the summer.

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Common questions

Asked and answered

Where can you rent a jet ski on Lake Minnetonka?

Bay Rentals in Mound rents jet skis from its Ship's Store near Surfside Park and Beach on Cooks Bay, and the machines are put in the water at its beachfront. Availability is tightest on summer weekends, so reserving ahead is worthwhile.

Where can you rent a boat or pontoon on Lake Minnetonka?

Sunset Boat Yards in Spring Park, formerly Rockvam Boat Yards, is the main full service option on the west end of the lake, and the Excelsior Bay area holds another cluster of marina and rental activity. Membership boat clubs also provide reservation access to a shared fleet.

How much does it cost to rent a pontoon on Lake Minnetonka?

Pricing depends on the season, the length and horsepower of the boat, and whether the rental is a half day or a full day. Fuel and a refundable security deposit are often separate, so ask for the total cost when reserving rather than comparing the headline rate alone.

Do you need a license to rent a boat in Minnesota?

Minnesota requires a watercraft operator's permit for many younger operators, and rental companies set their own minimum age, identification, and deposit rules. Confirm those requirements with the provider before the reservation date.

Is renting a good way to decide where to buy on Lake Minnetonka?

Yes. Renting or joining a boat club for a season shows how often a household is really on the water and which bays they gravitate toward. CJ Norman, a Mound-based Realtor, uses that experience with buyers to narrow the search to the right part of the lake.