Lake Tempe, located near Wajo, Sopeng, and Sidenreng Rappang in South Sulawesi, is one of the largest lakes in this area. Nevertheless, the lake is currently undergoing significant siltation, with sediment deposition being the main cause, resulting in an alarming annual increase of roughly 20–40 cm. Hence, dredging is necessary to enhance the capacity of Tempe Lake. Effective dredging operations are crucial for maintaining navigable waterways, mitigating flood hazards, and facilitating construction projects. The appropriate choice of heavy machinery is crucial to guarantee the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of dredging activities. This study emphasizes the process of choosing heavy equipment by considering factors such as time schedule, cost, and equipment productivity. This approach utilizes linear programming to optimize the selection of heavy equipment used in dredging operations by considering various combinations of dredging equipment that minimize costs while satisfying operational objectives and limits. The model considers multiple elements such as equipment capacity, operational expenses, project timelines, and site-specific limitations. Information was gathered from numerous dredging projects and input into a linear programming framework to model various situations and combinations of equipment. The results indicate that the linear programming methodology offers a methodical and scalable technique for selecting the most cost-effective and efficient combination of dredging equipment. The combination of heavy equipment used for dredging consists of the Julong JL CSD dredger and Kobelco SK200 excavator.