How Much Does It Cost to Launch a Boat at Shasta Lake?
$18 per vehicle per day at the seven Forest Service ramps, or $215 for a season pass. When the pass pays off, senior discounts and the Whiskeytown fee.
CampSiteHQ EditorsChecked against Recreation.gov, USFS and CDEC dataUpdated October 4, 2026 3 min read
The short answer
Launching at any of the seven public Forest Service ramps on Shasta Lake costs $18 per vehicle per day. If you launch often, the Shasta Season Pass is $215 for the calendar year. Holders of the federal Senior and Access passes get 50% off the daily fee.
| Option | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Day use, per vehicle | $18 | A few trips a year |
| Shasta Season Pass (Jan–Dec) | $215 | 12 or more launch days |
| Shasta, Trinity and Lewiston combo pass | $250 | Boaters who also run Trinity or Lewiston |
| Extra vehicle decal (up to 2) | $25 each | Households with more than one tow vehicle |
Break-even: $215 ÷ $18 ≈ 12. If you launch 12 or more days in a year, the season pass pays for itself.
Which ramps the fee covers
The $18 day fee applies at the seven public ramps the Forest Service runs on Shasta Lake: Antlers, Bailey Cove, Centimudi, Hirz Bay, Jones Valley, Packers Bay and Sugarloaf. The season pass covers the same ramps.
Not every ramp is in the water all year. Each has a lowest usable lake level, and in a low-water fall several are out. Check which are open today on our boat ramps page, and see every ramp's floor in our boat ramp guide.
About the $16 and $17 you may see
Older Forest Service handouts and some Recreation.gov pages still show $16 or $17. The current Forest Service ramp pages list $18, which is the number we use. If the fee tube or a ranger says otherwise on the day, theirs is the number that counts.
Season pass details
- Sold by Shasta Recreation Company, the Forest Service's concessionaire: 530-275-8113.
- Good January through December of the year you buy it.
- Tied to a vehicle: the decal goes inside the windshield, bottom right. You can add up to two more of your household's vehicles at $25 each.
- For personal watercraft only. Launching for hire or for other people needs a commercial account.
Discounts
Holders of the federal Senior and Access passes get 50% off the daily launch fee at Shasta's Forest Service ramps.
Whiskeytown is different
Whiskeytown Lake, about 20 minutes west of Redding, is a National Park unit, not Forest Service. To launch at Oak Bottom or Brandy Creek you need a Whiskeytown entrance pass: $25 per vehicle for 7 days. The park is cashless, so bring a card. The Shasta season pass does not cover it.
Marina launches
Marinas on the lake run their own ramps and set their own prices. If you're launching at a marina, call it directly.
Before you tow
- Check the lake level and open ramps the morning you leave.
- Clean, drain and dry your boat. California's invasive mussel rules apply at every ramp.
- Bring a way to pay the day fee, or your season pass decal.
Sources: Shasta-Trinity National Forest ramp pages, Shasta Recreation Company 2026 season pass prices, and the National Park Service (Whiskeytown fees), checked October 4, 2026.
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