Sutton Lake Marina: An Elk River, Family-Fun Destination

Are you looking for a great weekend getaway or summer vacation? Sutton Lake Marina is only a 58-minute drive from Charleston and offers great service and competitive rental pricing for pontoon boats, houseboats, jet skis, Craig Cats, pedal boats, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and more. There’s no reason not to hit the lake this summer!

Conveniently located just 3 miles off the Flatwoods Exit (exit 67) on I-79, Sutton Lake Marina opens the last weekend of April (April 24) to the public and April 15 to slip holders. The Marina is open seven days a week through mid-October.

Sutton Lake was built in 1961 by the Army Corp of Engineers. It is 14 miles long with 44 miles of shoreline and consists of 1500 acres of clean, clear water. It is approximately 80 feet deep in the main channel and 120 feet deep near the Sutton Dam. It is a great place to spend the day and enjoy the peace and serenity of the Lake. There are no homes or businesses at the Lake (besides the marina) -- just gorgeous nature, which is very popular for bass fishing and tournaments.

Ron Cvetucan on a Craig Cat

Sutton Lake Marina has an extensive array of water rentals including 19 pontoons, 3 houseboats, 6 jet skis, 2 Craig Cats (resembles a side-by-side on the water), and 12 new Tribe Perception sit-on-top kayaks (eight single kayaks plus four tandem kayaks). There are also six paddleboards, two four-seater paddle boats, and large 6’ x 12’ floating Paradise pads for up to 10 people or 1800 lbs. Lots of choices for a fun day on the water. All rentals must remain on Sutton Lake.

The most popular rentals are the houseboats and double deck pontoon boats with water slides. Houseboats are available for 3, 4, or 7-day rental and are already fully booked for 2021. (The marina starts taking houseboat reservations for 2022 on November 1st.) However, there is still plenty of availability for other rentals this summer. Pontoons are available for half-day or full-day rental, and all water toys are available for 2, 4, or 8 hour rental. Altogether, Sutton Lake Marina has over 30 rentals for summer fun and they offer a discount for multiple rental items on the same day.

Beautiful Sutton Lake photographed by Rella Cvetucan

Owners Ron and Rella Cvetican are celebrating their seventh year at Sutton Lake Marina. Rella said, “Before we bought the Marina, we owned a restaurant and rental cabins in Canaan Valley. I grew up in Braxton County so we were excited to return home near family and friends.”

Last year was extremely busy for rentals at Sutton Lake Marina and Rena and Ron are anticipating another busy year. “We have never had requests for this many slip rentals or boat rentals this early in the season,” said Rella. “Only a select few boat slips are still available for this season.”

Boat rentals at Sutton Lake Marina photographed by Rella Cvetucan

Visitors travel to Sutton Lake Marina from six to eight states including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, New York and more. Rella said, “Our houseboats are extremely popular plus I believe we have the only jet ski rentals in the area. We have a gorgeous, gorgeous lake and I am happy that people from all over are discovering it.”

There is a Ship’s Store located at the marina that offers apparel, souvenirs, bait, fishing supplies, ice, life jackets and other marine items. Hungry? Not a problem. The store also has an outdoor dining area and serves Hunt Brothers Pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQs, and eight flavors of delicious hand dipped ice cream. You can also purchase a $1 bag of food to feed the fish.

Craig Cvetucan, co-owner of Sutton Lake Marina

A short walk from the store is a swim beach which Rella says is “probably the nicest one in the State. It is groomed by the Army Corp of Engineers and is well maintained.” There is not a lifeguard on duty, but the beach is free to the public. Near the beach area there are also picnic tables with grills. Rella explained that “two of the picnic areas (Pavilions 4 and 5) can be reserved for $80 by going to recreation.gov.” Pavilion 4 is located closest to the marina and can accommodate up to 50 occupants. Pavilion 5 is located near the playground and beach area and has a scenic overlook.

Sutton Lake Marina rentals photographed by Rella Cvetucan

Within 3 miles of the Marina is the KOA campground, Breezy Run Campground, and Holly Gray Park campground. At the opposite end of Sutton Lake there are two campgrounds, Gerald R. Freeman and Baker’s Run. Lodging is available near the marina at the Day’s Inn at Flatwoods and the Microtel at Gassaway, with easy access off of I-79 for in-state and out-of-state visitors.

ONLINE BOOKING IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF SUTTON LAKE MARINA RENTALS. THERE ARE RENTAL DISCOUNTS AS WELL FOR BRAXTON COUNTY RESIDENTS, VETERANS AND MILITARY. THERE IS ALSO ONLINE DOCUMENT SIGNING FOR RENTAL CONTRACTS SO THAT ALL OF YOUR PAPERWORK CAN BE COMPLETED IN ADVANCE OF YOUR ARRIVAL. FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.SUTTONLAKEMARINA.COM OR CALL 304.765.2120 OR CALL/TEXT 304.644.3641. YOU CAN ALSO VISIT THEM ON FACEBOOK/SUTTON.LAKE.MARINA. ALL VISITORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAG AND SHARE THEIR SUMMER FUN PHOTOS OF SUTTON LAKE ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. BOOK YOUR RENTAL ONLINE NOW AND LET THE SUMMER FUN BEGIN!

Aerial view of Sutton Lake Marina