43°03′N 79°27′W · Lake Ontario (Niagara shore), Niagara River, Welland Canal
Ontario · Launch April–May, haul-out October
Boat storage in Niagara and Lake Erie
Winter storage, haul-out and the work around it on Lake Ontario (Niagara shore), Niagara River, Welland Canal. Send your boat details and we come back with spots that fit your LOA, budget and season.
Niagara and Lake Erie at a glance
- Waters
- Lake Ontario (Niagara shore), Niagara River, Welland Canal, Martindale Pond, Lake Erie and Lynn River
- Towns and harbours
- Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines, Port Weller, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Welland, Port Colborne, Gravelly Bay and Fort Erie
- Season
- Launch April–May · haul-out October
- Typical boats
- Sailboats and power cruisers on the Lake Ontario shore and at Niagara-on-the-Lake, plus trailerable fishing boats and runabouts at Lake Erie harbours such as Port Dover and Port Colborne.
- Storage from
- from $45/ft per winter outdoor · compare prices
Region summary from public sources. Each yard sets its own dates and rates.
The boating year here
Lake Erie is the shallowest Great Lake and the first to freeze: ice typically forms in late November and is firm by January. Lake Ontario rarely freezes fully. The Welland Canal opens for commercial traffic in late March and runs through December.
- Launch
- Boating season
- Haul-out
- On the hard / in storage
What storage looks like here
Storage here is shaped by the Welland Canal: boats cross between the lakes in a short, scheduled window, and Lake Erie freezes earlier than Lake Ontario, so a boat's winter home can depend on which lake it spends summer on.
Lake Erie's early freeze-up and shallow water make winter haul-out likely, typically onto outdoor yard storage on stands or cradles or into trailer storage; Lake Ontario ice is less consistent. Canal transit adds a seasonal pattern of boats moving between the lakes.
Niagara and Lake Erie storage prices
| Item | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Outdoor winter storage | from $45/ft per winter |
| Indoor winter storage (cold) | from $75/ft per winter |
| Shrink-wrap | from $18/ft |
| Haul-out or launch | from $14/ft each way |
| Seasonal slip | from $85/ft per season |
Starting prices in CAD before tax, from published marina and port rates and market estimates, October 2026. Your boat, the yard and the dates set the final price.
Local knowledge
- The Welland Canal is about 43.5 km long, has eight locks and lifts boats about 99.5 m between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. source
- 2026 pleasure-craft service ran May 1 to October 25: daily through September 27, then weekends only. Upbound lockages ran Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; downbound Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. source
- Pleasure craft report to the Seaway on VHF Channel 14 on the day of transit, bookings and changes close at 7:00 a.m. on transit day, and the 2026 fee for all eight locks was CAD $200 payable online. source
- Lock 8 at Port Colborne keeps the canal level constant regardless of Lake Erie weather, so ships are raised or lowered only about one to four feet there. source
- Lake Erie is the shallowest Great Lake, with an average depth of about 19 m, and it is the warmest. source
- Strong southwesterly winds on Lake Erie can pile water up at the eastern end; during a November 2003 storm the level at Buffalo rose about 2.1 m (7 ft). source
- Port Dalhousie was the terminus of the first three Welland Canal routes, and the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta has been held on Martindale Pond since 1903. source
- Niagara-on-the-Lake sits where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario and has a long history of recreational boating, with two boat clubs listed on the page. source
Niagara and Lake Erie boat storage questions
When is the Welland Canal open to pleasure craft?
For 2026 the Seaway listed pleasure-craft service from May 1 to October 25, with daily service through September 27 and weekends only after that. Upbound and downbound lockages run on set days, and bookings close at 7:00 a.m. on the day of transit. Check the current season before you plan a delivery.
How much does a Welland Canal transit cost for a small boat?
In 2026 the Seaway listed CAD $200 to transit all eight locks, payable online only. Tolls apply to craft up to 300 gross registered tonnes. Fees and schedules can change each season, so confirm the current rate and your transit day on the Seaway pleasure-craft page before you book.
Why does Lake Erie freeze earlier than Lake Ontario?
Lake Erie is the shallowest Great Lake, with an average depth of about 19 m, so it cools quickly. Wikipedia says ice typically forms in late November and is firm by January. Lake Ontario is far deeper and rarely freezes completely, which affects when boaters plan haul-out and winter berths.
Elsewhere in Ontario
- Toronto Waterfront Lake Ontario, Toronto Harbour
- Mississauga and Oakville Waterfront Lake Ontario, Credit River
- Hamilton and Burlington Hamilton Harbour (Burlington Bay), Burlington Canal
- Lake Simcoe and Couchiching Lake Simcoe, Kempenfelt Bay
- Muskoka Lakes Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau
- Georgian Bay Georgian Bay, Nottawasaga Bay
- Kawarthas and Trent-Severn Waterway Trent-Severn Waterway, Pigeon Lake
- Kingston and Thousand Islands Eastern Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River
- Ottawa River and Rideau Canal Ottawa River, Rideau Canal
- Bay of Quinte and Prince Edward County Bay of Quinte, Adolphus Reach
Tell us about your boat. We find the spot.
Storage type, LOA, region and season. We check what is open near you and reply by email with options and prices.