Facilities

Playport Marina is home base for the Crab Orchard Lake Sailing Association. The marina is ¼ mile south of the IL 13 and Spillway Road intersection on Spillway Road. After entering the marina the sailing harbor area is located on the south end of the marina. This the former site of the Crab Orchard Lake Sailing Club which held a lease from 1958 to 1983. Since 1997 the marina and sailing harbor have been under the direct control of the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Since 1997 the facility has undergone a major reconstruction with new 24 slip floating dock for cabin sailboats. The picnic shelter, restrooms, and parking area have also been redone.

The dry sail area parking lot was repaved and the boat hoist motor has been replaced (1 ton).The seawall underneath it has been reconstructed. We do not recommend lifting a boat more than 1200 lbs due to the age of the crane arm. To the left of the hoist is a new rigging dock. To the right is a fuel and waste pump out dock which is primarily used by houseboats and power boats. If you have a fixed keel boat you should measure the depth of the water before launching.

The multi-hull fleet has an excellent sand beach for launching and storage area. The beach is also good for small mono-hulls on dollies. Next to the beach is a sail shed. Overnight camping is not permitted in the marina but campgrounds are located across the lake and accessible from IL 13. Motel lodging is just a short distance away towards Carbondale. There is a Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn. This area is known as the Reed Station Road intersection and also features a Houlihan’s Restaurant and Golden Corral.