Illinois / Mississippi River /

Mississippi River Boat Launch near Oquawka

This is a public boat ramp on the Mississippi River near Oquawka, Illinois, run by Oquawka Municipal Ramp.

Aerial view of the sand and gravel bank access to the river, with boat sheds and the lot beside it, July 2019
Aerial view of the sand and gravel bank access to the river, with boat sheds and the lot beside it, July 2019 Photo: USDA Farm Service Agency, NAIP · Public domain · via USGS The National Map
Zebra mussels

Zebra mussels (latest report 2007) reported in Mississippi River 680 m from this launch (USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database). Clean, drain and dry your boat, trailer and gear before you leave, and do not move water, plants or live bait to another water.

USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database · checked October 20, 2026

Status not reported No closure has been posted for this launch, but its agency does not publish open or closed status. Check with the managing agency before you tow.

At the launch

Type
Boat ramp
Motors
No horsepower limit
Ramp surface
Paved
Managed by
Oquawka Municipal Ramp
Coordinates
40.93489, -90.95748

Directions (Google) Apple Maps

This launch has no official name in our sources; the name above describes where it is.

Channel depths in feet from the Army Corps' surveys (Rock Island District; the one nearest this launch is of October 7, 2026). Not for navigation.

Boating rules

  • Horsepower limit: none · all of Mississippi River rule

From the boating rules map of Illinois Department of Natural Resources, read October 18, 2026. A map of rules is a guide: the regulation's text and the posted signs govern.

Conditions

On the river

River mile 415.8 on Mississippi River · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Navigation Mile Markers, placed between its mile markers

River hazards

Keep well clear of dams: strong currents and restricted zones above and below them.

  • Dam, 5.2 mi downstream: Mississippi River Lock & Dam No. 18 (large impoundment), 41 ft. · Iowa DNR River Programs dam hazards

Up to 10 river miles each way, from the agencies' inventories; not every hazard is listed and rivers change. Scout before you go.

Sources: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Navigation Mile Markers, Iowa DNR River Programs dam hazards.

Channel survey

The Army Corps surveys the channels it maintains and posts every survey.

  • Upper Mississippi River Pool 18
    Condition survey of October 7, 2026 by the Rock Island District. Soundings on the sheet from 4.2 to 37.5 ft below the pool's low control level; the Corps maintains a 9 ft channel here. Survey sheet (PDF)

US Army Corps of Engineers hydrographic surveys, from eHydro. A survey shows the bottom on the day it was made; channels shoal after high water and change with dredging. Not for navigation.

On Mississippi River

River in Illinois. All launches on Mississippi River.

Community

Where people who use Mississippi River talk about it.

Nearby launches

Sources

Why it is listed as public: listed by Great Lakes Commission Boat Access Sites (compilation, public and private). Something wrong, or is this launch private? Send a correction; it goes to a person.