Rented a pontoon and they were very accommodating. Friendly staff and well maintained equipment

We had the 21 foot "Cute toon" pontoon boat. 2 adults, 2 kids under 10. We reserved it for 4 hours and halfway through, the throttle stopped working and we were stuck in the middle of the lake. One of their staff came out to help and assured us they didn't think it would be a big deal. It happened again, and we had to get towed back. It took 10 minutes to get ahold of the "emergency line". When we got back to the dock, we circled around for 30 minutes and we were well ahead of our 4 hours. They didn't want to offer any sort of refund and when my husband pushed for one, they said "if it's going to hurt the holiday, we can try to do 10 percent." They had their information completely wrong and then called us to come back after we had left because they had accidentally refunded the whole thing. We could have just let them deal with their mistake but we came back and they still messed up the refund. They were also were ok with letting the next group go on a boat that clearly has safety issues. read more

After heavy winter, it's really nice to have the sun shining. They have a nice little viewing area with benches next to the launch. So you can sit and relax. I do not know what the launch fees are, if there are any. But it's quite nice. We came here after a nice time up at Sugar bowl. They had an encore weekend and it is about 4 miles past this lake. read more

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I did not interact with anyone that could always change the stars. Although, as far as the facility, it was clean, there was someone there, and they had restrooms. In plenty of parking for both boats, trailers and vehicles. read more

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I didn't realize they had multiple locations so I was all turned around, so I ended up at Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center (yeah I was having that kind of morning), but when we got there it was worth it. SO FUN! Taylor and Jacqueline/Jacklyn (sp?) were super nice and helpful. We were only planning to spend an hour or so there to hydrobike, but we ended spending half the day there. By the end of the day we had 2 pedal boats, 2 hydro bikes and a jetski. The weather was perfect and we had so much fun, time literally flew by really fast. We're definitely returning in a few weeks. read more

Donner Lake Marina - Rental booth with fun toys on both sides - Boating Near Me - Truckee, California

We had a fantastic experience with Donner Lake Marina! We reserved a boat for 4 hours for a group of 12 and contracted one of their employees to drive the boat for us (we were hosting a retreat & didn't want to be responsible for it ourselves!). Spencer was very sweet and, after our initial 2 hrs, drove us back to the marina for a bathroom break & to pick up a tube. Our group had SO MUCH FUN tubing. The lake was fairly empty (or so it seemed!), and it was definitely a highlight of our retreat. read more

Donner Lake Marina - Boating Near Me - Truckee, California

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Best place in Northern NV for swimming and SUP. Parking can be a bit tricky but worth it.

Justin and his boat renting crew are the very best! They have served our family for three years now and are always so fun, kind, professional and patient! We have rented two ski boats, a pontoon boat, two canoes, two jet skis and a tow rope and tube twice. Extremely great equipment and knowledgeable staff. read more

Donner Lake Marina - This is the clean and clear gorgeous Donner Lake. Thanks, Justin and staff at Donner Lake Marina!! - Boating Near Me - Truckee, California

The Lake was beautiful, don't get me wrong. But I really think for SUP they take advantage of you price wise. You have to pay to get inside and park and then you have to pay $25 per hour to paddle board. I'm from San Diego where it's $20 for a 24 hour rental...so this seemed extremely expensive to me. I really wanted to do another hour because 1 hour is barely enough time to get around and be able to enjoy the view and the sights, but $50 for only 2 hours seems insane to me. And the fact they make you wear a life vest on a lake is also pretty intense, lol. We aren't even given life vests to use them in SD in the ocean. So for an hour of paddle boarding it was worth it because of the beauty of the lake, but this place is a complete rip. No deals or coupons or discounts for multiple people for multiple hours or anything; FULL PRICE. Sheesh. read more

Donner Lake Marina - Boating Near Me - Truckee, California

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Nice to be here living a lake life ! Rentals for boats are great and being close to ski lift is too . Beauty breeze and trees . No fires here . read more

Excellent service! We visited on a weekday in June without a reservation and rented a canoe for our family of 4. The staff was super helpful and kind, the boats are all in great shape. While we were on the lake...our daughter saw another family having fun on a jet ski, so we rented a jet ski after our hour of canoeing was up. If you are looking to boat while in the area, don't hesitate to go here. Easy parking, great staff, there is a nice little sitting area, clean restrooms, good variety of boats to choose from. Strongly recommend. read more

We had the best time!! They were all so great and friendly. The rules were absolutely normal. It was such a nice time on the lake!

Longest wait ever. Rude people. Never go back. Customer service was the worst. Recommend you call and ask if they're fully staffed.

One of the worst boating and jet ski experience I've had, with exception to the gentlemen working to launch the boat and jet ski. First of all l, their jet ski policy is somewhat ridiculous. We rented a pontoon and two jet skis for 4 hours. Upon arrival, we were informed that switching jet ski riders around the lake wasn't allowed. Doing so would result in $400 fine. In order to switch riders, we had to ride jet skis and pontoon back to their designated dock. An absolute waste of time! Imagine going back and forth to their designated to dock to switch riders for 4 hours! It seems like the employees are always trying to find ways to make a buck. Way too many restrictions. At one point, they falsely accused us of switching jet ski riders while out on the lake. I pointed out that the same jet ski riders came back to their dock. I asked him, "How is it possible to switch when the same riders came back?" Their rep claimed that his owner saw the switching of riders. Then to make matters worse, he claimed that our pontoon came to close to the beach. I informed him that the pontoon was nowhere near the beach. On the lake there were buoys to mark boundaries where we had stationed our pontoon for some the kids to swim in lake. FYI. The lake's current is quite strong. Clearly there were no buoys to indicate that our pontoon was close to shore. Our jet skis riders were nearby to prevent our kids from drifting too far away from the pontoon. Again, their owner claim to have witnessed this event too. Another attempt to make a buck! First and last time going here! Deceptive business practice is primary reason I won't be returning. The next time I return, I'm taking my money elsewhere. One of the worst customer service experience ever. Clearly evident with owner's response. That says it all. To claim that he could've charged $400 was a lie. We never switched jet ski riders! read more

Easy access location (shack next to the lake in a parking lot next to a hotel/resort.) Current rates (6/30/14) were $130 for an hour or $490 for a half day. I forget the full day charge. Warning: $400 charge if you tip the jet ski, regardless of damage. They also rent boats, kayaks, paddleboards and tubes for tubing. They'll hold your license, credit card and keys for you. You can ride anywhere on Donner Lake, excepting the shoreline and the ingress/egress points of the lake. Beautiful scenery and beautiful homes ring the lake while you zip by. Customer service was excellent. read more

We booked a last minute house on Donner and called around to see about renting a boat. Didn't expect much, as it was 4th of July weekend. I called Donner Lake Marina inquiring about their 22' pontoon, and was told they aren't doing reservations this weekend, that it was first come, first serve and to be there by 8am. So we got up early and were there right at 8. This guy told us they've been sold out of reservations for weeks. Very unprofessional that their staff isn't aware of what's going on, and telling people to come get in line when they don't even have boats available. read more

The only reason I am giving this place 2 stars is because the boating experience itself was wonderful. The staff however was horrible. I have never seen such disrespect to a patron in my life. The way they spoke to my mother in front of her grandchildren was horrendous and Alex and Justin were especially the worst. His condescending tone to women was appalling. Never will I recommend this place. And Alex and Justin, grow some respect for women, Sir. read more

Great place to rent jet skis on the lake! The staff is super friendly and very helpful. All of us had a blast on lake! The location has easy parking and lots of rental options! We had a blast! read more

Donner Lake Marina - Great place to rent jet skis! - Boating Near Me - Truckee, California

The staff was awesome and very helpful. We rented one of their Centurion Enzo's and being a rental, it has been used hard and by people that do not take care of it as one should. With that said, it was clean and ran well all day. Never missed a beat. Of course due to the altitude, it's not going to come out of the hole like one may be use to at sea level or close to it. They had wakeboards, tubes, kneeboards and everything else needed for a fun day on the lake. Again, this is all rental equipment so it is used and often by people that do not take care of it as well as you would expect but we had no problems and again, the staff was great. Next time I feel like not bringing up our boat, I would not hesitate again to rent from these folks!!! read more

We ran a little late for our boat rental due to a medical emergency. They ended up moving our reservation up despite policy & when we got there in a rush they hurried to get us out to enjoy the water with the time we had before the next reservation! They even put water on the deck so our feet wouldn't burn! They were very chill, nice, fun, jokey vibes & way cheaper than Tahoe! Price includes gas, just tax at the end! Loved it here! Will rent again :) thanks guys! read more

We had the best time here. Rented a speedboat for tubing and waterskiing with two 10-year-olds. Everyone at the marina was welcoming and friendly. The process of getting out on the lake was easy, efficient and smooth. Nick came with us and coached the kids in a relaxed, safe way on how to get up. Great equipment and knowledgable staff. We had so much fun and will definitely be back! read more

Awful service, horrible people and an overall negative experience. I will never come back here. Overpriced and rude, unprofessional employees. Seriously disappointed. read more

Rob and the staff at Donner Lake Marina were a pleasure to work with. I felt that they truly wanted us to experience a great vacation and went out of there way to help. I must have made boat rental changes a thousand times. They were very accommodating and were even willing to meet us early so we could fish first thing even tho they weren't scheduled to open yet. When we got there it was windy (boooooo). They kindly offered to take the boat back if it was too much wind out on the lake. It was. We love boating but it really was too windy. They only charged us for one hour. They had brought the boat to us from the other location on the lake which was very nice of them too. Great experience and next time we hope to spend more time boating. read more

We have taken 2 trips this summer up to Donner Lake Marina and have had an amazing experience. Rob the owner is so respectful and treats us like family. His staff also treats us as though we are family. We have been coming up to this Marina for over 6 years now and every year they never surprise me with the way the staff goes above and beyond. I have 3 small girls and they always make sure they have the right life jacket and never make us feel bad when we come in often to switch kids on the jet skis or need to bring the boat in to get new equipment. The staff is truly hustling and running around all day to make sure all the customers are happy and taken care of. read more

We had a great afternoon at the lake. Rented two jet skis, a canoe and then a pontoon boat. It was a perfect afternoon. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. The equipment was in great condition. I would highly recommend renting from them! read more

My extended family has been coming to Tahoe for many years & we have consistently had the best service at Donner Lake Marina. We are three generations of very active grandparents, adult children & teens. We have found the value at Donner Lake Marina for their equipment to be quite competitive & they are always getting new items to maximize safety & fun. We've worked with most of the staff & find them all to be very knowledgable & accommodating. They take their time explaining how to get the most out of each different rental & are willing to make switches (SUP's to kayaks, different kinds of tubes, etc) if possible to maximize the family's experience. We go all over Tahoe for a variety of activities but this is the one place we go year after year. read more

We spent the afternoon out on the Regal bowlder this past Saturday. Previously, we had rented jet skis from their other Donner Lake location, which was a blast. As for our first go at the marina location...the staff was welcoming, courteous, and engaging. They don't just want to rent you a boat...they want to make sure you to have the most enjoyable experience you can whilst doing so. The Regal got on plane just fine, didn't struggle while towing, and had a kickin' stereo...what else do you need on a three mile lake? The atmosphere feels so laid back compared to some of the still awesome, but rather "commercialized" rental shops that you'll encounter over on nearby Lake Tahoe. As my wife and I have two young children, we look forward to making DLM a regular part of our summers at Donner. read more

Nice guys - Justin answered our questions the night before and we walked in thinking about kayaks, paddle boards and possibly tubing. Since it was a bit overcast with a chance of rain, we figured we could come out early and take our chances on rentals without reserving items first. We went during a very busy time but realized people might be scared off by the weather forecast. Turned out we were right - arrived before 10:00 a.m. and there were plenty of boats available. I recommend you plan ahead though if you want to rent a boat in the busy times. We ended up just using the kayaks and paddle boards, and they were very accommodating - allowing us to change between the items as much as we wanted. We had 7 in our family so we mixed it up a bit and tried out single and double kayaks as well as the paddle boards. Paid for a 1 hour rental initially and agreed to settle up at the end if we were still having fun and the weather held up. Ended up having a great time and went a bit more than a second hour, but they were very easy going and we paid for an additional hour. There were 2 additional young men who took care of the equipment - very nice kids. The lake is very nice and scenic so it was a fun time. Even though it was overcast, the weather was awesome for us Chicagoans and we had no complaints ;) Overall a very positive experience and accommodating people. read more

Rob and staff were great. Very laid back but professional. Most Boat rentals include gas and floats which is why they might look more expensive than other rentals, but they're actually cheaper in the long run because other cheaper boat rentals dont include gas and then upcharge for it. Boat was a good quality. Nice tube tiedown, boat handling and quality ride. I appreciate that the boats aren't run down or in bad condition. I also liked that the doc attendants were kind with our large group taking turns going out with multiple dock and go trips. Another company might get annoyed, but the guys here were really chill about it and down to earth. Donner is so much quieter than Tahoe and I was very happy with it as a boater. read more

Highly recommened this place for renting any water equiment. The customer service is the best, aint no place like this. If your ever in the area, stop by. The prices are affordable! The place is great! And Rob is the nicest man out there, mine and buddies truck broke down and he was the one to pull over amd help, he did most for us. He spent 3hrs with us helping us fix the truck and he even took us out to dinner. Literally couldnt ask for more. Thank you once again Rob. You the real mvp! read more

Rob is awesome! We came to Donner Lake during Memorial Day on our way back from Incline Village. My boyfriend and I were checking out the boat rentals as we were interested in going out on the lake with my family who were also with us. But since my family was eager to get back to the Bay Area to beat the holiday traffic, we decided it wasn't best to rent a boat for the day as it would've been costly between the two of us only. However since my boyfriend and I were still wanting to spend time at the lake and in the area, Rob offered to take us for a boat ride for only $50! He took us from one end of the lake to the other and back. I had a permanent smile on my face the entire time. Thank you Rob for making our visit a memorable one! We'll be back for sure! read more

We had an amazing experience renting jet skis here. Everyone was super friendly and helpful, the sea doos were awesome, easy to operate and in great condition, and we had such a fun time on the lake. There is parking dedicated for people renting from the marina which was great and there's a surprisingly clean bathroom which was much appreciated. I was a little worried about the reviews on here complaining about all the rules, but once we got there and everything was explained to us I realized the rules were completely reasonable and designed to keep us, the other people on the lake and the equipment safe. We had no trouble happily following all of the rules and still having a total blast while also being safe. We did 1hr on the jet skis and I wish we would have booked at least 2hrs. It was soooooo much more fun than I had thought and we both left with big smiles on our faces. Cannot wait to come back and rent again!!!! read more

The absolute worse experience ever. Super easy for payment and reservations. We rented a pontoon boat and jet ski..no problem. We listened intently to the boating instructor. No problem. We went out on the lake, my husband, a retired San Francisco policeman jumped in the water to be pulled on the raft. My 40 year old son and wife pulled up on the jet ski,...not close to the boat..from nowhere a young over zealous employee with a bull horn and siren pulled up and accused us of being to close to the shore and switching riders. I tried to explain that this was not the situation. He was confrontational and inappropriate. We will NEVER rent from this establishment again. To add insult to injury I tipped 15% upon arrival. Rob N. Please do not reply to this review. Your employee was rude. He represented himself as an officer and a local enforcement lake marshal. . There is NO excuse or explanation needed. Know your audience read more

OMG I don't even know where to start Rob, and all the staff are amazing. I had a big party and rough party but they're amazing. We rented a boat and a few jet skis. My little ones love all the staff. read more

This is an amazing place to enjoy your day. Lots of fun and exciting things to rent on the lake. The staff is exceptional and very friendly. I highly recommend trying Donner Lake Marina read more

Worst customer service ever! Such a negative experience I had when it should have been so fun. The staff was rude and unprofessional, especially the gentleman with the long hair...not sure of his name but wow. I will not be back...there are just too many other places in the Tahoe area where I can spend my hard earned money and not be treated like a second class citizen. read more

So impressed with the great service here. EVERYONE that helped us was friendly and helpful despite being very busy. Had a blast in the SUP's and Kayaks. Next time we will reserve a boat and spend the day. Great day! read more

Donner Lake Marina - Boating Near Me - Truckee, California

Rob and everyone at Donner Lake Marina were a pleasure to work with. Our group was running late on the Saturday before 4th of July. The guys at Donner Lake Marina were able to give us an additional 30 minutes for free because we were almost an hour late. There were no hidden fees, the boat was great (we took the pontoon that fits 13) and it was exactly as described! Truly, a very easy and fun experience even during one of the busiest weekends of the year! I'll definitely come back here the next time we're in the area and want to be on the lake! read more

Customer service booking a ski was rude and acted like I was putting her out since it was such a busy day. Then did not let us know they had two locations on the lake even though I selected the location I wanted via google maps- obviously one number for two locations. When we got there ahead of time they said we were at wrong location and we better hurry to get to the other end of the lake. The problem with other location is it's a third of a mile in on a gravel trail and they block the road so no cars can get in. Guys that gave us the ski were nice. read more

The staff at Donner Lake Marina rentals is lazy, uncooperative and rude. They are young guys who goof around and do not take their jobs seriously. The biggest problem is that they expect everyone who is coming to rent from them is experienced. Actually, most are probably inexperienced or have never been on the vehicle they're renting before in their lives. When the staff realizes the renter is inexperienced, they become annoyed and terse. They are not helpful or welcoming. If you slip up or do something you're not supposed to, they become angry and disrespectful. The issue is made worse by the fact that they are lazy and have no sense of urgency (until your rental period is up, then they're pretty speedy). For how concerned they are with ending your rental period on time, they have no urgency to get you started as fast as possible. In fact, they left us waiting for 10 minutes in the middle of our session while our time was ticking away! They decided to help a customer who had just finished instead! This was infuriating, especially since their prices are not cheap. Equipment worked smoothly, though their abundance of restrictions and consequences for minor damages make you nervous. read more