Paddle Pub Madison: Social lake tours with drinks, sun, and scenery.
Paddle Pub Madison offers guided boat tours from Monona, WI, on Lake Waubesa aboard a social paddle-pub experience. Guests praise friendly captains, a relaxed vibe, and scenic, drink-friendly cruising—ideal for parties, bachelorette celebrations, or groups seeking a fun water outing. Tours typically run about two hours and include a stop at Christy's Landing; one review notes differences between online promises and the on-board experience.
Marina Slip #5, 6308 Inland Wy, Monona, WI 53713, USA
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2-hour group tours on Lake Waubesa with pedal-powered seating, motor assistance, and scenic stops.
Customizable tours for events like bachelorette parties, birthdays, or corporate outings with BYOB options.
Relaxing or energetic rides featuring beautiful water views, wildlife spotting, and social interaction.
Professional, friendly captains who ensure safety, provide local insights, and enhance the fun atmosphere.
Optional 15-minute break at a popular lakeside bar for drinks and snacks during the tour.
Overall rating
Erik T
We had an awesome experience out on Lake Waubesa with Paddle Pub! Couldn’t have asked for a better day or a better captain. I’m terrible with names, but our captain was a younger guy from UW—super chill, low-key, and just an all-around cool cat. He made the whole trip feel effortless, safe, and fun. If you’re looking for a great time with friends on the water, Paddle Pub is the way to go. Highly recommend!
Katie Krapfl
Absolutely ELECTRIC paddle pub tour with Remy! We brought the alcohol and playlist and he did the rest. This is an absolute must for any group looking for a scenic outing on the water. Anyone that says differently just didn’t bring the necessary vibe and energy. Highly recommend!
Rebecca Brower
As big fans of the pedal pub bikes downtown Madison our group was super excited to try the paddle pub boat this year instead. We arrived 15 minutes ahead of time as instructed by the many many emails sent in advanced and followed the signs to check in. We arrived to an empty boat covered in trash and cans and a boat that clearly had no bathroom on board, despite the website saying in multiple places that the boat would have one. The captain arrived only 5 minutes before the scheduled tour departure time and immediately shoo'ed our group off the dock rudely stating that he was not ready yet because our group arrived early. This immediately set an uncomfortable tone. My main disappointment was that this is not a pedaling adventure at all. The boat was driven via motor and the paddle wheel remained out of the water almost the entire boat ride; the captain even downright refused our group request to try pedaling without the motor despite this being advertised as a paddle pub. Even if it was a pedaling boat, a few of the pedals or seats were broken. Since the pedaling is pointless, your instinct would be to mingle or hang out on the pontoon as a boat. But you actually can't do that freely either because if too much weight goes to the front of the boat where the only non bike seats are water comes over the front (and the captain will call you out with weight based jokes) so most guests remained in their seats with a few people standing the full tour. We then asked about a swimming spot, which is also mentioned on the website to be part of the boat ride, to be told we had to book a special "swimming tour." The only reason for the two star review versus one is because of time spent with good friends out on the water on a beautiful night. The captain apologized for the differences noted on the website regarding advertising such as the bathroom and swimming and offered a small discount, but ultimately we were really disappointed by this experience, especially for the price. If you want a high energy pedaling adventure do the bikes around downtown. If you want a boat ride, find a pontoon to rent with comfortable seating, space to socialize, and swimming options.
Kristin Showers
I was invited to a Bachelorette party on the Paddle Pub and it was a blast! 2 hours was the perfect amount of time with a 15 minute stop at Christy's Landing. Plenty of room to walk around on the boat and the best part was you don't really have to paddle! You can kick back, soak up the sun and enjoy some cocktails. Remy and Brian were wonderful captains and accommodated any request we had. Highly recommend checking it out!
Mike Cook
We had so much fun, and made a great day out of it! Gavin and Callie were fantastic! Got a drink at the bar and hung out until it was time to board, then got on and made the trip on the lake, waving at every boat we passed! Definitely recommend booking for a party, hard to not have a good time! Christy's Landing is a great spot too, got a round of Washington apple shots and a beer before getting back on the boat to head back!
