When does the last boat leave the island? Late in the season, that question decides a Put-in-Bay day trip more than any restaurant list does. Between now and Thanksgiving week, the answer changes four times.
The island winds down in steps. Some steps come from the ferry companies, some from the National Park Service and some from the bars on Delaware Avenue. Each step makes the day a little shorter. In 2026 the key changes fall on the Saturday of Oktoberfest, the weekend of October 24 to 26 and the Monday after November 1. Here is the timeline.
| Dates in 2026 | Mainland ferry options | Last scheduled Miller departure from the island |
|---|---|---|
| Through Saturday, October 10 | Jet Express from Port Clinton, Miller from Catawba | 7:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 6:00 p.m. other days |
| October 11 to Sunday, October 25 | Jet Express through its final day, Miller | 6:00 p.m. daily |
| Monday, October 26 to Sunday, November 1 | Miller only | 5:00 p.m. daily |
| Monday, November 2 to Wednesday, November 25 | Miller only, reduced schedule | 4:30 p.m. daily |
October 10: The Last Late Boat
The first step comes on Oktoberfest weekend. The Put-in-Bay Chamber has Oktoberfest at DeRivera Park on October 10 and 11. Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday hours are noon to 5 p.m. The Chamber says the food comes from member restaurants and the beer from Put-in-Bay Brewery. On the mainland, this is the weekend after Port Clinton's own two Oktoberfests, which we covered in Port Clinton's Two Oktoberfests. The island version gives October a third one.
The timing that matters is Miller Boat Line's extra 7 p.m. trip off the island. In its 2026 brochure, the Friday trip runs through October 9 and the Saturday trip through October 10. Oktoberfest's Saturday session ends at 7 p.m., the same time as the latest scheduled Miller boat leaves the island all fall. After that Saturday, the latest boat back to Catawba leaves at 6 p.m.
The next Saturday is still busy. The Chamber's Pioneer Cemetery Walk runs October 16 and 17 at Crown Hill Cemetery, 4 to 5 p.m. The Put-in-Bay Skelly Hunt covers South Bass Island on October 17. The Southern Boil is at Reel Bar that afternoon, 1 to 7 p.m. The Wake at Round House Bar is the same day, and its listing also names Red Moon as a haunted-bar stop. The Wake's Chamber page calls it a last chance before the island winds down. The calendar shows two more weekend events after it.
October 24 to 26: The Weekend the Lights Go Off
Three closings land on three straight days.
Saturday, October 24
Halloween at the Bay fills downtown with costumed visitors and decorated bars. The Chamber calls it "one of the final and most festive weekends of the season." Miller's 6 p.m. boat off the island is still running.
Sunday, October 25
The Whiskey Light Turn-Off Celebration runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Round House Bar. The Chamber describes it as a time-honored tradition: the Whiskey Light sign goes dark to mark the end of the season, and Ray Fogg performs "Look for the Whiskey Light!" The Jet Express also lists October 25 as its last day of the 2026 season, so after that Sunday there is no scheduled ferry from downtown Port Clinton. Miller's 6 p.m. island departure ends the same day.
The celebration ends at 4:30 p.m. That leaves time for the 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. Miller boat to Catawba. Anyone who came over on the Jet Express should check that company's departure times before the day. Its timetable warns that trip times can change without notice.
Monday, October 26
This is the last day the visitor center at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial is open. Through then it is open Friday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It closes for winter on October 27 and reopens May 15, 2027. Even before that date, visitors can't go up the monument. The National Park Service says the plazas, rotunda and observation deck are all inaccessible for the 2026 and 2027 seasons because of the Upper Plaza Rehabilitation. The park's standard hours text still lists the walkways, lawns and roads around the memorial, including State Route 35, as open 24 hours a day. The same text also lists the memorial plaza as open, which conflicts with the rehabilitation notice, so plan on the lawns and walkways only. Going up the monument and onto the plaza is off the table this year and next.
After the Turn-Off, Every Trip Has a Hard Stop
From October 26 through November 1, Miller Boat Line still runs every hour, with island departures from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mainland dock is at 5174 E Water Street, and the 2026 brochure advertises free parking. The crossing takes under 20 minutes.
On November 2 the schedule shrinks to eight departures. Boats leave Catawba at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m., then at 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m. Boats leave the island at 8, 9, 10 and 11 a.m., then at 1:30, 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. The 8:30 a.m. mainland trip runs Monday through Saturday only. The midday gap is the detail that catches people. No boat leaves Catawba between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and none leaves the island between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. A late-morning start in November means waiting until 2 p.m., which leaves about two and a half hours on the island before the last boat home.
The brochure's fall schedule ends November 25. These sources don't say what runs after that, so check Miller directly for any trip later than Thanksgiving week.
What the Island Still Lists After the Big Weekend
The ferries keep running after the downtown bars wind down. WTOL reports that most island restaurants and bars hold six-month liquor licenses, and only a few bars stay open in the off-season.
Miller Ferry keeps a running "What's Open Put-in-Bay Fall" list. It says closing dates will be added as businesses confirm them. Several entries on it run past the turn-off weekend.
- Joe's Bar: listed daily through 11/8
- Island Bike & Cart Rental: listed daily through 11/7
- Fishbowl and Put-in-Bay Brewery: listed daily through 10/31
- E's Carts: listed daily except Tuesdays through 10/31
- Island Hardware Store & Market, Island Beverage Center, Topsy Turvey, Erie Islands Petroleum/Pit Stop and Put-in-Bay Taxi: listed daily, with no closing date given
The list is a running page, and its businesses haven't confirmed these dates individually. Call before planning a meal or cart rental around any of them, especially after the first week of November.
The parts of the island with no closing date are the township parks and preserves. Miller lists them as open daily: Dodge Woods Storywalk, Massie Cliffside Preserve, Scheeff East Point Nature Preserve and the Jane Coates Wildflower Trail. Miller's page suggests hiking, bird watching, finding beach glass and fall colors with Lake Erie views. With a cart rented through early November, or a taxi after that, the preserves and the memorial lawns fill a 4:30 p.m. day without depending on any restaurant being open.
November 10: One Event Built for the Quiet Season
The Chamber's November calendar has a single event. Brown Bag Lunch Series #3 is Tuesday, November 10, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society Museum. It includes a light lunch and a talk on the history of Miller Boat Line.
The November schedule makes the timing awkward. The 10:30 a.m. boat from Catawba arrives well before the lunch starts. The next boat back is at 1:30 p.m., half an hour after the talk ends. That's enough time for a walk on the memorial lawns. If you stay for the afternoon, the last boat back leaves at 4:30 p.m.
For other late-season trips on the water, our guide to fall fishing water off Port Clinton covers the live-fire danger zone that overlaps the best fall water. More about the town at the other end of the ferry route is on our Port Clinton neighborhood page.
The Recker Team lives and works along this shoreline year-round, and we track the seasonal calendar our Port Clinton and Catawba clients plan around, including ferry cutoffs and the turn-off weekend. If you're weighing a lake property and want to know what the islands are like from November to May, request a free consultation and we'll walk you through it.
