Boating Chicago

Lake Michigan · Michigan

Boating in New Buffalo, MI

A Harbor Country gateway on Michigan’s southwest shore with a City of New Buffalo transient municipal marina near downtown and the beach.

Body of water

Lake Michigan

Region

Michigan (MI)

From Chicago

About 60 miles

Overview

New Buffalo sits just across the Michigan line from Indiana’s Harbor Country corridor and is a favorite south-shore weekend town for Chicago travelers — by car as often as by boat. For boaters, the City of New Buffalo publishes a Municipal Marina page describing a transient marina at 100 W. Water Street, west of the Whittaker Street Bridge.

Official city materials state that the transient marina offers slips for guest use, with attendants monitoring VHF channels 9 and 16, and amenities that include shore power, water, and bathrooms with showers. Use the city page for current rules, contacts, and any seasonal operating notes; tourism sites may restate amenities but the municipal page is authoritative.

New Buffalo works well as a shorter south-shore objective than longer Michigan destinations farther up the coast. Combined with Michigan City, it gives Illinois boaters two nearby Indiana–Michigan harbor towns for fishing weekends and fair-weather crossings.

As always on Lake Michigan, do not treat a short chart distance as an easy guarantee. Build plans around marine forecasts, and confirm marina capacity before you cast off — transient space can tighten on peak summer weekends even when a harbor looks quiet midweek.

What defines boating here

  • City of New Buffalo Municipal Marina
  • Transient slips near downtown and City Beach
  • Southwest Michigan Harbor Country access
  • Published VHF monitoring and city contacts

Marinas and harbors

Lakes and waterways

Official sources

Harbor rules, season dates, fees, and amenity lists change. These are the agencies and operators that publish the current details.

Nearby destinations

Related Chicago boating reading

Before you go: Verified from official sources; operational details change — always confirm with the linked source.

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