St. Louis Area Sailing Resources

Places to Sail

Lake Carlyle
Carlyle, IL
Lake Carlyle is the largest man made lake in the state of Illinois.  It is formed by a dam on the Kaskaskia River.  It is approximately 3 miles wide by 13 miles long with marinas and access at several points around the lake.  The surrounding topography is generally flat so the winds are reasonably consistent.  The lake is somewhat shallow so that when the wind blows hard such as during a storm the waves can become relatively large and steep.

Creve Coeur Lake
Maryland Heights, MO
Creve Coeur is the largest natural lake in the state of Missouri, a state not known for its natural lakes.  It an oxbow lake formed when a loop of the Missouri River was cut off.  It was originally part of a pair of lakes that from the bluffs resembled a heart cut in two, thus the name Creve Coeur which means broken heart in french.  The second lake silted in although they are planning to restore it.  Creve Coeur lake allows boats up to 18 ft.  There are ramps at both the North and South end of the lake but there are no docks available which makes launch and retrieval difficult in an onshore wind.

Horseshoe Lake
Granite City, IL
This is a small oxbow lake formed by the Mississippi river.  It is very shallow with an advertised depth of three feet.  However, several local sailors have taken their lazers to Horseshoe Lake with some success.

Mark Twain Lake
near Hannibal, MO
This large lake in Northeastern Missouri has not been developed to the same extent as Lake of the Ozarks and so has less powerboat traffic.  There is a Mark Twain Lake Sailing Association where you might find more information on sailing at the lake.

Chandleries

St. Louis Sailing Center
13616 Northwest Industrial Circle
Bridgeton, MO 63044, USA
  PHONE: (314) 298- 0411
FAX: (314) 298- 7194

West Marine
13840 Manchester Rd
Manchester, MO 63011
PHONE: (636) 207-1191
FAX: (636) 527-2633

1355 South 5th St. #150
St. Charles, MO 63301
PHONE: (636) 949-8866
FAX: (636) 724-4808

Sailing Instruction

Odyssey Sailing School

St. Louis Sailing Center

Valley Sailing Association