PULASKI CO., Va. – Claytor Lake draws boaters from across the region every summer, but anyone hoping to snag a seasonal slip this year is likely already too late. The three largest public marinas on the lake are full, waitlists stretch back to 2024 at some locations, and loyal, long-term renters get first pick each season — leaving little room for newcomers.
“As far as boaters looking for slips, there’s definitely a demand for them,” said Michael Valach, owner of Mountain 2 Island Marina. “If you get on it early, you normally can get one. If you wait late season, they’re sort of hard to come by.”
Waitlists grow, loyal renters hold their spots
The crunch is driven partly by a renewal culture that keeps slips off the market. Valach said 90% of renters at his marina return each year, leaving only a trickle of openings driven by boaters who build private docks, relocate, or switch to trailering.
“If you had a slip the previous year, you get first dibs on it for the upcoming season,” Valach said.
That loyalty runs deep at Claytor Lake State Park as well. Tanner Bradley, the park’s assistant manager, said some renters have held their slips longer than he has worked there — nearly seven years.
“It’s a big pull for those folks who they’ve used it for years and years and years,” Bradley said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to come back and have that sense of place.”
The park’s waitlist includes people who signed up as far back as 2024. Bradley noted wait times can vary depending on boat size, since slip availability differs by size category.
For Pulaski resident and boat owner Timothy Heath, the combination of waitlists and pricing has pushed him toward daily launching rather than seasonal storage.
“Most of the places I’ve called is about a year wait list on some, and then some like state parks are more priced than DeHaven, so it’s just easier for us to bring it daily,” Heath said.
Stable water levels offer some relief for daily launchers
For boaters like Heath who are trailering to the lake each visit, water levels have not added to the difficulty this season. Bradley credited the New River’s water supply and AEP’s management of the dam at the far end of the lake for keeping levels steady.
“We have not seen really any drop,” Bradley said. “So it’s been really easy if you know what you’re doing to launch your boat and pull out with no real issues.”
Heath echoed that experience: “Luckily here so far we’ve not had to run into any issues with the water being too shallow or nothing like that.”
Marinas eye expansion to meet growing demand
All three major marinas are working to add capacity, though none of the projects will deliver relief this season.
At Conrad Brothers Marine, manager Mike Ratcliff said the marina currently holds about 26 lifts and roughly 125 total boat storage spots on and around the water. The marina is now pursuing permits to build additional lift slips.
“We are in the process of obtaining the permits to build more lift slips,” Ratcliff said. “Hopefully we can get quite a few more to get on the lake here.”
Ratcliff added that Conrad Brothers draws customers from well outside the immediate area, including West Virginia, Mount Airy, and Charlotte, as well as Salem and Roanoke.
Mountain 2 Island has also taken steps to expand, recently purchasing an off-water facility for boat storage and planning slip upgrades.
“There is more demand for it and we hope to be able to meet that demand,” Valach said.
At Claytor Lake State Park, Bradley said the existing docks are slated for a full replacement with aluminum docks within the next couple of years. The project could bring a net increase in slip count, though exact numbers have not been finalized.
“There is a possibility for increase,” Bradley said.
The work is tentatively planned for the fall and winter, with the goal of reopening by spring — though Bradley acknowledged that timeline could shift.
“With work like that, it is hard to tell,” he said.
For boaters hoping to secure a slip on Claytor Lake, Valach offered straightforward advice: don’t wait until summer.
“If you wait till Memorial Day or closer to the Fourth of July, your ability to find a slip anywhere on Claytor Lake or most any lake is going to be limited,” he said.