Local areas among best boat fall-watching sites

CATAWBA ISLAND — Neighboring waterfront communities in Ottawa County found themselves near the top in a new national ranking of the best lakefront places to watch fall foliage from a boat. BoatBooker, a leading platform in connecting captains and people looking to book a tour, listed the Marblehead-Catawba Island area as the fourth-best such spot in the nation in a 2026 survey. "This part of Lake Erie came out with 72 public boat ramps within 20 miles and a foliage peak that lands mid-October, right in the sweet spot of the season," according to a statement from BoatBooker. Among the criteria considered, BoatBooker took into account: • How good a community is for a fall foliage boat trip • How much public boat-ramp access is nearby • Whether the leaves are actually turning at the right time • How easy the lake is to reach "What stood out about this part of Lake Erie was how well-timed the color is," said Vukan Simic, CEO of BoatBooker. "Mid-October puts it right in the heart of peak season, with plenty of water access to actually get out and see it." The list Here are America's top 10 lakes for fall foliage boating in 2026 as graded by BoatBooker: 1. Lake Lanier, Georgia 2. Rhinelander Flowage, Wisconsin 3. Lake Hartwell, Georgia/South Carolina 4. Lake Erie on Catawba Island and Marblehead in Ottawa County 5. Kentucky Lake, Kentucky 6. Clarks Hill Lake, Georgia/South Carolina 7. Lake Champlain, Vermont 8. Fox Chain O'Lakes, Illinois 9. Old Hickory Lake, Tennessee 10. Peabody Wildlife Management Area Lakes, Kentucky