Boat Storage Near Clinton Lake and Perry Lake
Clinton Lake is fifteen minutes from our gate and Perry Lake is a half-hour tow north. Here's where Lawrence boat owners keep their boats and trailers between weekends — and over the winter.
The driveway problem
A boat on a trailer eats a driveway, annoys an HOA, and sits in the sun eleven days for every one it spends on the water. Kansas sun crazes gelcoat and rots trailer tires; Kansas hail does worse. And a boat visible from the street is a boat somebody else has noticed too.
Enclosed boat storage in Lawrence solves all of it: out of the sun, out of the weather, behind a gate with cameras, minutes off K-10 on the way to Clinton Lake.
Clinton Lake or Perry Lake: one unit covers both
Lawrence sits between two of the best boating lakes in northeast Kansas. Clinton Lake is about fifteen minutes west of our gate. Perry Lake is about thirty minutes north, up US-59 and across on US-24, and it is the bigger water: more room for sailing and skiing, and marinas on both arms.
Boat storage near Clinton Lake and Perry Lake does not have to mean a slip at either one. Keep the boat on its trailer in a drive-up unit in Lawrence and you can pick the lake by the wind and the weekend, without paying two marinas or towing from the wrong side of town.
- Clinton Lake: about 15 minutes, straight west on 23rd Street to the state park ramps
- Perry Lake: about 30 minutes north, with ramps and marinas on the east and west sides
- Same unit, same gate code, either lake
Sizing a storage unit around a boat trailer
Measure hitch to prop, then add two feet of walking room. Most fishing boats and runabouts on trailers land between 21 and 26 feet, which fits a 10x30 unit with room for gear shelves along one wall. Smaller rigs fit a 10x20 with the tongue folded.
- 10x20: personal watercraft, jon boats, small fishing rigs under 18 feet
- 10x30: most bass boats, runabouts, and pontoons on trailers
- Measure the trailer tongue — it is the number people forget
- Door height matters for tall towers and T-tops; ask before you book if your rig runs over 8 feet
The in-season routine at Clinton Lake
Storage near the lake beats storage at home once you count trips. The gate opens at 6 AM — hook up, launch at first light from the Bloomington or Clinton Marina ramps, and the boat is back behind the gate by dinner.
- Keep lines, vests, and fuel cans on a shelf in the unit — not in the garage
- Back the trailer in nose-out for faster hookups
- Gate hours are 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week, with your personal code logged on every entry
- Drive-up access means the truck never leaves the trailer
Kansas winterizing checklist
Kansas winters are hard on marine engines. Before the November freeze, run the list below inside the unit, where the boat already sits.
- Stabilize fuel and run it through the engine
- Drain water systems or antifreeze them — a freeze-crack repair costs more than a year of storage
- Pull the battery and keep it home on a tender
- Block the trailer tires or overinflate slightly against flat-spotting
- Crack a hatch for airflow and leave the cover loose — trapped moisture is the enemy
Spring launch, and outdoor parking for bigger boats
De-winterize in the unit, not at the ramp. Battery in, fluids checked, lights tested — then the first trip to Clinton is a launch, not a repair session. When the season ends, the whole cycle starts over thirty feet from where the boat already sits.
Prefer uncovered parking for a pontoon or a bigger cruiser? We have paved, gated outdoor spaces in 10x20 and 10x30. See RV and boat parking for sizes and availability.
Common questions
What size storage unit do I need for a boat and trailer?
Measure from the trailer hitch to the end of the motor and add two feet. Boats under 18 feet on a trailer fit a 10x20; most bass boats, runabouts and pontoons between 21 and 26 feet need a 10x30. Anything longer needs a 10x40 outdoor space. Those spaces fill up; the 10x40 page shows live availability, and when they are full you can join the waitlist there or by phone.
How far is Free State Storage from Clinton Lake?
About fifteen minutes. The facility is at 2400 Franklin Rd off K-10 on the southeast side of Lawrence, and the Clinton State Park entrance is a straight run west on 23rd Street.
Is Free State Storage close to Perry Lake?
About thirty minutes. Perry Lake is north of Lawrence in Jefferson County. Many Lawrence boat owners store here and tow to Perry on the days they want bigger water, and to Clinton Lake when they want a short trip.
Can I store a boat in Lawrence over the winter?
Yes, and enclosed storage is the better place to winterize. Stabilize the fuel, drain or antifreeze the water systems, pull the battery, and leave the cover loose for airflow. Rentals are month-to-month, so a November-to-March winter is just five months.
Most readers of this guide pick a 10x30.
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