A boat in Wisconsin is laid up for about 5 months a year at Milwaukee, and the median first 32°F night arrives October 9 at Green Bay (NOAA 1991-2020). 88 boat storage facilities are listed in Wisconsin, 57 with indoor or climate-controlled space.
| Month | Milwaukee high / low | boat | Green Bay snow | Green Bay high / low | boat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31° / 17° | laid up | 14.3 in | 26° / 11° | laid up |
| Feb | 34° / 20° | laid up | 12.0 in | 29° / 13° | laid up |
| Mar | 44° / 29° | laid up | 8.1 in | 40° / 24° | laid up |
| Apr | 55° / 38° | launch or haul-out | 4.7 in | 54° / 35° | launch or haul-out |
| May | 67° / 48° | in the water | 0.0 in | 67° / 46° | in the water |
| Jun | 77° / 58° | in the water | 0.0 in | 77° / 56° | in the water |
| Jul | 82° / 65° | in the water | 0.0 in | 81° / 60° | in the water |
| Aug | 80° / 64° | in the water | 0.0 in | 79° / 58° | in the water |
| Sep | 74° / 56° | in the water | 0.0 in | 72° / 50° | in the water |
| Oct | 61° / 45° | launch or haul-out | 0.3 in | 58° / 40° | launch or haul-out |
| Nov | 48° / 33° | laid up | 3.1 in | 44° / 29° | laid up |
| Dec | 36° / 23° | laid up | 13.1 in | 31° / 18° | laid up |
Boat column rule: in the water at a 65°F high and 45°F low or warmer; launch or haul-out from a 52°F high; laid up below.
By that rule a boat at Milwaukee has 5 months in the water (May to September), 2 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up. By that rule a boat at Green Bay has 5 months in the water (May to September), 2 of launch or haul-out and 5 laid up.
Wisconsin is hard-freeze country: Green Bay logs about 152.3 nights at or below 32°F and 66.3 days that never thaw, enough to freeze any water left in the engine block, raw-water passages, outdrive and plumbing.
88 live listings in 25 cities; by listed type: 57 indoor, 17 covered and 70 outdoor (types overlap). No Wisconsin boat storage listing publishes a rate on StowHelp.
| Facility | City | Listed storage | Listed amenities | Also listed for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don's Marine | Lodi | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| The Boat House - Door County | Sister Bay | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Quam's Marine & Motor Sports | Stoughton | indoor, outdoor | Jet Ski | |
| Streblow Custom Boats Storage | Lake Geneva | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Ryan Road Storage | Milwaukee | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Dal-Tech Boatworks & Storage | Oak Creek | indoor, outdoor | ||
| CenterPointe Marine | Pewaukee | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Affordable Self Storage - Madison | Madison | indoor, outdoor, covered | security cameras, gated entry | Jet Ski |
| StorageMart Milwaukee | Milwaukee | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Doughty Karin | Fitchburg | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Pharo Marine | Waunakee | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Jerry's Majestic Marine | Lake Geneva | indoor, outdoor, covered | Jet Ski | |
| Cudahy Self Storage | Cudahy | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Safeguard Storage of WI, LLC | Mc Farland | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Airport Storage | Cudahy | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Franklin Self Storage | Franklin | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Publik Parking | South Milwaukee | indoor, outdoor | ||
| Stuff-N-Store | Madison | indoor, outdoor | ||
| The Storage Guy LLC- OW Storage | Middleton | indoor, outdoor | ||
| EZ Self Storage | Oak Creek | indoor, outdoor |
| City | Boat Storage listings | Indoor | Climate-controlled | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 32 | 11 | 0 | 14 |
| Madison | 20 | 19 | 0 | 20 |
| Lake Geneva | 8 | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Cudahy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Fitchburg | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Oak Creek | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Racine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Sun Prairie | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Waunakee | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Cottage Grove | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
NOAA's 1991-2020 median first 32°F night is October 29 at Milwaukee and October 9 at Green Bay; winterize by September 25, two weeks ahead of the earlier date. By our boat rule Milwaukee stays in the water through September and Green Bay through September, then 2 months of launch or haul-out follow at Milwaukee. 57 Wisconsin listings offer indoor or climate-controlled space.
5 at Milwaukee (October to April) and 5 at Green Bay (October to April), plus 2 and 2 months of launch or haul-out. Those laid up months hold 50.6 of the 55.6 inches of snow Green Bay averages a year (91%), which is the load on a cover or carport roof. At Milwaukee a boat is in the water from May to September (5 months), against 5 at Green Bay.
Of 88 live Wisconsin listings, 57 list indoor space and 0 climate-controlled units, against 70 outdoor and 17 covered. By city: Milwaukee (32 listed, 11 indoor), Madison (20 listed, 19 indoor), Lake Geneva (8 listed, 7 indoor) and Cudahy (2 listed, 2 indoor). Most indoor listings: Madison (19), Milwaukee (11) and Lake Geneva (7). Ask whether indoor means heated; listings span 25 cities in all.
At Green Bay, 5 months average a low at or below 32°F, all of them laid up months by our boat rule. Green Bay logs 152.3 nights at or below 32°F and 19.2 at or below 0°F a year; January, the coldest month, averages 11.1°F and is laid up for a boat.
After the last frost. The median last 32°F night is April 19 at Milwaukee and April 30 at Green Bay; the last 28°F hard freeze comes around April 6 and April 17. Our rule makes May the first month in the water at Milwaukee and May at Green Bay. That month Milwaukee averages a 47.8°F low and a 66.5°F high. Reverse each winterization step first.
Wisconsin boat storage listings span 25 cities, led by Milwaukee (32 listed), Madison (20 listed), Lake Geneva (8 listed), Cudahy (2 listed) and Fitchburg (2 listed). For outdoor winter parking, Madison (20 outdoor) and Milwaukee (14 outdoor) lead. Statewide, 70 list outdoor, 17 covered and 57 indoor or climate-controlled spaces. Compare the cities nearest you before October 9.
NOAA NCEI Climate Normals 1991-2020 (USW00014839, USW00014898); NOAA AOML hurricane impacts 1851-2025; StowHelp listings 2026-10-07 (methodology).