Frequently Asked Questions

No, but they are required for safety reasons. You can either bring your own boat, or rent one from us.  Jet skis do not meet the required safety requirement.

Houseboats can tow up to 4 boats; however, remember, you are personally responsible for the tie-up, arrangement, and/or potential damages incurred.

*We strongly encourage you to bring your own tow rope (10’-15’ rope) and apparatus along with big bumpers to tie your own boat up behind the houseboat.*

No special boating license is necessary. Our YouTube channel has our orientation videos (and more) which we require you to watch prior to arriving.  You will go through an orientation prior to your departure, covering the houseboat operation and maps.  Please let us know if you do not have any boating experience when you arrive!

YES YOU CAN!  Please let us know well in advance so that we may plan our staffing for your stay.  Call or email us for further questions!

In the event that some of your party or guests cannot arrive the same time as your check in, we ask that you alert us as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.  We live on-site.  This is our home.  We watch our property very closely as to who is coming and going and we ask that you please respect this matter.  Here are some options:

• We are more than happy to schedule a driver for your late arrivals IF we can arrange it.  There is a charge and we will not drive guests past sunset due to safety.  Please call us to schedule this service.
• If you prefer to get a jump on your houseboat trip, then we would also recommend spending your first night at Fortune Bay Marina.  They have two dockslips for houseboats on a first come-first serve basis.  Your guest can park there as well.
• If your late arrivals are coming after 5pm, then we would recommend you spend your first night at our docks as we do not allow our houseboats and all of our boat rentals to move around after sunset.  NONE of our rentals have exterior lights for boating at night.  ANY CHECK-INS 5PM OR LATER, MUST SPEND FIRST NIGHT ON OUR DOCKS!  NO EXCEPTIONS.

Again, we understand life is crazy busy for everyone and some people in your party may need to arrive or leave at different times.  All that we ask is for you to communicate this to us as our family lives here onsite.

Each kitchen has a refrigerator, freezer, stove, oven, sink, and a charcoal grill on the deck. All houseboats have enough dishes, glassware, silverware, and steak knives for the number they accommodate. There are also pots, pans, utensils, cutting board, and grill utensils—plenty of standard kitchen items to create a feast for your crew!  We provide a small bottle kitchen dish soap, new dish scrubber, 2 kitchen dish towels, 2 potholders and garbage bags for all garbage containers on the boat. Unlimited supply of fresh drinking water is supplied via gallon jugs at NO CHARGE.  NO PAPER TOWELS ARE PROVIDED.  (You may want to bring additional dish soap and hand towels).

The refrigerators on the 40′, 42′, 44′, 50′ and 54′ houseboats have an 8 cu. ft. capacity with 2 cu. ft. freezers.  (Think RV size). The 55′ and 60′ Cruisers have side-by-side refrigerator/freezers, with approximate 9 cu. ft. refrigerator. The 65′ Executive has two 8 cu. ft. refrigerators with freezers. All houseboats also have a cooler (ranging in size from 75qt to 120qt) on the deck, perfect to store your soda and other beverages for quick access. DO NOT over fill your refrigerator and freezer as it will not work properly.

The 42′, 54′, 55′ and 60′ and 65′ houseboats come equipped with Smart TVs (use your own hot spot), and microwaves. So bring your own HDMI cable to attach to your laptop and stream whatever you’d like to watch!  Please remember, this is the Northwoods.  Reception can be and will be spotty at times.

Yes, all houseboats have a slide, so don’t forget your towels.

NEW IN 2021, all houseboats have a 26″ Weber charcoal grill, so bring on the burgers, kabobs, and brats! (Bring your own charcoal or buy a bag from us!)

We provide pillows with pillow cases at no additional charge.  We offer a bedding package for $35/bed which includes:  2 flat sheets and 1 light-weight microfleece blanket.  When making reservation online or via phone, please select how many bedding packages you will need.  You can bring your own bedding or sleeping bag if you prefer.  (2) Kitchen dish towels and (2) pot holders will be provided, although you will need to bring your own bath and/or sun deck towels.

Yes, all houseboats have deck chairs and a table. They do not have lounge chairs, but you may bring them for sunbathing.  If you prefer to bring your own bag chair, please do!

The 42′, 50’, 54′, 55′ and 60′ houseboats have electric coffee makers, along with toasters. The 40′, 44′ and 50′ houseboats have stove-top percolators. You will need to bring 8-12 cup basket type coffee filters for the electric coffee makers.  Filters are optional for the stove-top percolators. Remember, you must run your generator to make coffee with an electric coffee maker. Stove-top percolators do not need the use of the generator!

NO!  In fact, PLEASE do not bring toilet paper!  The houseboat septic system is just like a camper/RV.  We supply the much loved, “special” toilet tissue during your stay.  If you ever need more during your stay, we will gladly provide more at no charge.  Our septic holding tanks are pumped after every stay.  We also provide holding tank deodorant/waste digesting packets if you find your tank odoriferous!

No.  Each houseboat will have the appropriate number of life jackets on-board for each guest. WE DO NOT SUPPLY CHILD LIFE JACKETS.  If you prefer to bring your own favorite life jacket, by all means please feel free to do so. *FIRST AID KITS ON EVERY HOUSEBOAT*

Simple! We have a generator on each houseboat. Bring your extension cord to plug into the outlets on the houseboat. Or you can bring a CPAP battery pack if you do not wish to run your generator all night.

Absolutely you can add a hot tub to any of our houseboats that do not come standard with one (Cruiser and Maki series come standard).  When booking online, look for the “add more” just underneath the houseboat that you have selected.  You will be directed to back to the page with all the options to add houseboats, fishing boats, hot tubs, and water toys.  Click on hot tubs and then book.  If it is easier to email or call us to add a hot tub, by all means, call us at 218.753.3548.  There is a limited quantity available!

Hot tub rentals are $150/night and must be rented for the duration of your stay.  Weekly rates are $750.

Yes, all 40,000 acres of Lake Vermilion are navigable, from East to West. In 2018 we added Hummingbird GPS units on ALL houseboats to make your vacation even more worry-free!  We provide maps with routes highlighted for your convenience.  With over 1200 miles of shoreline on Lake Vermilion, it’s an explorer’s dream!

Maps come standard on every houseboat. The mooring sites are also on our website home page!

We sell leeches (when in season), crawlers, block ice, cube ice, bundles of firewood, charcoal and lighter fluid for the grill, and souvenir clothing.

If you need to purchase a fishing license, please visit the Minnesota DNR website:  https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/fishing/index.html

Yes, there are resorts and marinas that sell bait, ice, and light groceries. You may go to their docks with a small boat; no houseboats allowed into any other resorts or marinas.  Fortune Bay Casino has two dock-slips for our houseboats.  First come-first serve.  Call ahead!

ABSOLUTELY!  Running short on supplies?  No worries!  We will provide complimentary on the water service runs to your Houseboat(s) on Wednesdays & Saturdays. The service runs provide delivery of needed supplies and garbage pick-up. If we have to go off site to acquire requested supplies, you will be charged a land service fee for that time expense. Also, requested service runs any other day of the week will be charged a lake service fee.  You must text us (218.753.3548) BEFORE 10am to order your supplies.

• paper towels
• Ziploc bags or small Tupperware containers (for leftover shore lunch)
• aluminum foil
• charcoal and/or lighter fluid for grill
• bath towels/beach towels/extra kitchen dish towels (in case yours get filthy too quickly)
• bedding if you are not purchasing a bedding package from us (all bed sizes are listed under each houseboat)
• hand towel and soap for bathroom (or just a bottle of hand sanitizer)
• small bottle of dish soap
• fan (for hot days/nights)
• extension cord (for generator if you need extra juice)
• Bluetooth speaker to stream your own music
• rain gear
• water shoes
• sunscreen
• Deet/bug spray/mosquito foggers/thermacell (DO NOT SPRAY OUR INTERIOR LIGHTS AS IT DAMAGES THE PLASTIC!)
• flyswatter
• deck of cards/games/books (rainy day activity and unplug yourself from technology)
• your own life jacket if you prefer and definitely a child life jacket since we do not provide
• flashlight or headlamp
• fishing license
• binoculars
• floaties

You may have a campfire at designated sites with a campfire ring and posted, as allowed by current conditions.  Please make sure all evidence of any fire is completely out before leaving your mooring site.  Also be kind and leave the site better than when you arrived for the next group.  You may only bring firewood from St. Louis County.  Otherwise, we do sell bundles at our base.

Yes and No.  We allow dogs, but we DO NOT allow any cats.  Our staff and families have severe allergies and we ask that you please respect this.  OUR PET FEE IS $50 PER DAY PER PET OR $250 PER WEEK PER PET. When making your reservation, please inform us how many pets you intend to bring.  Also our very own dogs live here at the landing; upon arrival please keep Fido in your vehicle until your party has been checked in.  Please keep your pet on a leash at all times for others safety and pick up your pet’s poo!

No, fuel is not included in the houseboat rental fees. You are responsible for paying fuel that is used during your stay.  We will settle up with your fuel usage at checkout time. DO NOT USE ANY OTHER MARINA FUEL IN OUR EQUIPMENT, by doing so, it could lead to neglect and you could be liable for damages! Our hospitality boat will bring you more fuel for your generator or small rental fishing boat if needed.

The average fuel consumption for the majority of the houseboats is 10 gallons or less a day. Our larger houseboat fleet with twin 60hp outboards may use up to 15 gallons per day. All our outboards are Mercury 4 stroke, low emissions (brand new in 2019!) Fuel tanks range from 120-250 gallons, more than enough for a week so feel free to cruise all you want!  We will settle up with the fuel upon check out.

WE PREFER CASH OR CHECKS but accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express (with a 3.0% non-cash adjustment).

For true emergencies always call 911 first, then we ask that you let us know that you’ve called 911.  For any minor urgency call or text the base. Lake Vermilion has rescue boats on both ends of the lake.

They can contact the base at 218-753-3548. We will then contact you by phone (call or text) to relay a message.  There is cell phone reception across most of the lake; mobile phone use and wireless access to the web is usually available.

Yes, they have docks created specifically for our houseboats, available at no charge.  During our busiest months of July and August, we highly recommend you call their marina prior to arrival to double check slip availability (218.410.3955). You cannot reserve any dock slips at Fortune Bay Marina.

If you need to reschedule your vacation, we can transfer your deposit within the same season, or roll it over to any following season(s). If rolling over to the following season(s), an additional deposit is required when your dates are confirmed! We will attempt to work with you to reschedule your vacation, during the same calendar season, however, we cannot guarantee the ability to reschedule depending upon availability!  If you need to cancel your reservation all together, you can cancel 90 days prior to your reservation to receive a refund of your deposit, minus a 5% administrative fee.  If you do not reschedule, your deposit and all payments made will be forfeited. Any/All deposit(s) made with Lake Vermilion Houseboats, Inc. can be rolled towards any future reservations with us!