Delaware River Bay

The Delaware River runs past Trenton, Philadelphia, Camden and Wilmington before it widens into Delaware Bay and meets the Atlantic between Cape May and Lewes. Below Trenton the river is tidal, and the stretch along Philadelphia and South Jersey is one of the busiest summer boating spots in the region, with jet skis, cruisers and fishing boats sharing the water with the city skyline. We offer the best boats, jet skis and water toys at the Delaware River, ready and waiting for you right at the lake.

Delaware River Boat Rentals

The wide river above Philadelphia, toward Burlington and Trenton, is popular for cruising and tubing, and the city waterfront makes for an unforgettable view from the water. Our Delaware River boat rentals include:

• MasterCraft wakesurf and wakeboard boats for family and friends
• Ski boat rentals for water skiing, slalom and tubing
• Tubes, wakeboards and wakesurf boards for every age
• Paddle boards and water trampolines for calm days in the sheltered spots along the river

Rather have someone else drive? Book a private boat charter and our captain will handle the boat. Damage waiver coverage is available on every rental.

Delaware River Jet Ski Rentals

Jet skis are one of the most popular ways to see the Delaware River, from the Philadelphia and Camden waterfronts under the Ben Franklin Bridge and up the wider water toward the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge and Trenton. Most of our jet ski rentals can pull a tube, depending on the model, and guided rides are available. See our jet ski models to pick your ride.

Pontoons, Marinas and Boat Service

The river is lined with marinas and public ramps on both shores, including the free Frankford and Tacony boat launches in Northeast Philadelphia and public ramps in Pennsauken and Trenton. If you're searching for a Delaware River pontoon rental, boat slip or boat service, check with the local marinas. We don't rent pontoons or service boats, but we offer surf boats, jet skis and water toys to go with your pontoon day or lake house stay.

Philadelphia and the River Towns

Penn's Landing sits right on the river in Old City, home to the Independence Seaport Museum, with the RiverLink Ferry crossing over to the Camden Waterfront. Upriver, towns like Riverton and Burlington line the New Jersey shore, and downriver you'll pass the Navy Yard, Fort Mifflin and Red Bank Battlefield. The tidal river also holds striped bass, smallmouth bass, American shad, catfish and white perch.

Delaware Bay

Below the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the river keeps widening until it opens into Delaware Bay, a big, shallow bay with marshes, lighthouses and quiet beaches on both shores. Cape May and Lewes sit at the mouth of the bay, connected by the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, and the bay is known for striped bass, weakfish and summer flounder, plus the famous spring horseshoe crab spawning on its beaches.

Getting to the Delaware River

The Delaware River runs right through the Philadelphia area, with Penn's Landing just off I-95 in Center City and public ramps on both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey sides. Trenton is about 30 miles upriver, and Cape May, at the mouth of Delaware Bay, is about 90 minutes south of the city by car. See all of our New Jersey lakes.

Good to Know Before You Go

• New Jersey boating rules: the Delaware River below Trenton is tidal, so on the New Jersey side you need a New Jersey Boat Safety Certificate, or an approved certificate from your home state, to drive a boat or jet ski, but not the MVC boat license required on freshwater lakes. Jet ski drivers must be at least 16, and our rental drivers must be 18 or older.
• Pennsylvania and Delaware: the river is shared by several states. Pennsylvania requires every jet ski driver, and anyone born on or after January 1, 1982 who drives a boat over 25 horsepower, to have a boating safety education certificate, and Delaware requires one for anyone born on or after January 1, 1978.
• Big ships and tides: the tidal Delaware is a working river, with a marked shipping channel used by big, fast ships and tugboats that can't stop or turn quickly and throw large wakes. Give them plenty of room, watch the tides and current, and keep an eye out for floating debris.
• Life jackets: everyone on a jet ski must wear a life jacket, and so must children under 13 while the boat is underway.
• Book early: summer weekends and holidays fill up fast.

Lakes Near the Delaware River

The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal connects the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay just south of Wilmington. In New Jersey, Lake Hopatcong is the state's largest lake, and in Pennsylvania, Blue Marsh Lake near Reading and Beltzville Lake in the Poconos are each within about an hour and a half of Philadelphia.

Delaware River Map