LaCrosse Boat Launch Fees

Looks like alot more people will be using Dresbach landings alot more next year if this goes into effect. As far as Prairie du Chien charging, just another reason to go over to Marquette to buy my gas and food for the day before I launch.

From the Lacrosse tribune.
The boat launch fees have been discussed with boaters and are common in other communities. The city modeled the plan after Prairie du Chien’s, which takes in $35,000 a year, said Steve Carlyon, parks and recreation director.

The city would charge $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents for an annual sticker valid at any of the city’s seven boat launches. Participants in the city’s 27 fishing tournaments would pay $3 a day. In all, La Crosse could reap $40,000 for boat ramp repairs and maintenance, Carlyon

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for boat ramp repairs and maintenance,

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Yea, right
If I thought that the money would be spent on this and this only I would not have a problem with it.

Ask them to start treating everyone fairly, instead of trying to target people for theft. Ask them first to start charging a membership to playgrounds and little league fields.

You’re talking 10.00 per year to use 7 different launches. Unless I’m missing something. If you are going to drive further to launch at a free ramp, you’ll burn thru your 10.00 savings in a hurry.

I agree BZZSAW. But we all know that all money will not be spent on repairs and maintenance. I would like to know who paid for the launches to be put in. I highly doubt the City of La Crosse.

Has any one starting to look at the rate of inflation ect in today’s economical codition? Has any one asked what it takes to maintain ect of any of the launches. The one that bites me the hardest is the extra $10 for nonresidents at PDC. Have not bought one in years, nor visited to eat a meal. Yesterday I quit using Cabelas for depositing my disposable

income. Well maybe I will take my grandson to watch the fish and buy a fish pillow.

I have been advised that the fishing industry is not effected by inflation or recession. I stand corrected.

I’ve been paying the launch fee for years here. It is quite a bit more than 10 bucks. Just a cost of doing business. The launches here are patrolled, clean, have updated maps and bulletin boards and are well lit. what is 10 bucks when you drive a 20-50K boat and the gas and oil and the electronics and all that.

The city of Hudson gives city residents annual stickers. But we still have to pay 3.00 per launch. The launch was under water and closed all but 1 week thru July. When the launch is open, there is very limited parking. Chances are pretty good that if you want to get your boat on the river, you will spend 15 – 20 per launch on the weekend. I don’t fish that often and I still probably spent close to 200.00 in launch fees this year. I’m not sure what my point is.. but is sounds like you guys have a pretty good gig. I guess I’m kind of jealous.

$10 for an annual sticker has anyone complaining? Really? Closest decent lake to me is Delavan in Southern WI, my annual sticker is over a hundred bucks. Last year the landing (only one on the lake) had over 24,000 launches. Consider that is from late March to maybe first week of November.

Keeping up a boat launch isn’t free… so what hurts about paying a little for it? I would consider $10 for seven landings to be a steal… and ask where I could get a ten year pass to lock up that rate.

As long as the people without boat trailers attached to their vehicles can not park in the lots I am okay with this. Many communities up and down the river have done this for years and it does not seem most people have a problem with it. Why should everyone have to pay (taxes) for a boat launch if they don’t have a boat? Seems like a reasonable question to me.

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Why should everyone have to pay (taxes) for a boat launch if they don’t have a boat?

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The same reason I pay $900 a year for schools and i don’t have any kids. Everybody benefits from having it there.

Not sure what your complaining about but that sounds like a ridiculously cheap price to pay for an annual boat launch pass.

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I’ve been paying the launch fee for years here. It is quite a bit more than 10 bucks. Just a cost of doing business. The launches here are patrolled, clean, have updated maps and bulletin boards and are well lit. what is 10 bucks when you drive a 20-50K boat and the gas and oil and the electronics and all that.

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very good there
great humor!

The city ramps here in town are maintained by city taxes and other cities its the same. The county ramps are payed for by the state DNR. A few years ago they started charging for park use. They issued a sticker for a small price and a few bought them. The state and county parks had very little people go to them after that so they stopped chargeing for park use and people started going back and useing them again. Camping, fishing, hikeing etc. was what they parks were used for, after they issued the stickers and started chargeing, people quit useing them. Thier still building new ramps in a few places, city and county.

It looks like there are not many complaining about launches and in fact most are quite proud to do so and appear to want to pay more than there fair share.

I was a strong advocate for the city of DeSoto to take down the “$1 DONATION” sign and replace it with a $3 daily fee or $15 yearly pass sign. It’s still an honor pay system with a lock box but Steve is in fact checking the lot randomly for violators. Citations will be issued.

After a Q&A session with a 22 year town board member earlier on this year ~ if we don’t raise any maintenance money in the next few years ~ you won’t be as able to launch a canoe let alone a boat in low water periods! We’re being silted in and will need some costly dredge work in the coming years. Call me naive but I can only hope the integrity of local officials is in tact and we see something in which we pay for.

If the ramp needs dredgeing or any expensive repairs are needed then the fee is justified, Like said the moneys got to come from somewhere. I can see the fee is needed especially for a smaller town where thier money has to go on other things. Its not always the same situation everywhere.

I’m fine with paying a launch fee if the money went back into the landing and maintenance….but it’s already been stated that these fees are simply to help balance the city budget…..That’s what has me ticked off. I’ll buy the pass and not think twice about it…Just hate the rationale.

It’s commonly known as “REVENUE ENHANCEMENT” !!

Im all for user fees. But where did my boat registration fee go. Where did my gas tax from the gas I put in my boat go. Today the charge $3 to launch my boat and tomorrow they think they can charge $10.

WI brings in more then 1.2 Million dollars in boat registration fees. 635,000 boat registered in WI

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Im all for user fees. But where did my boat registration fee go. Where did my gas tax from the gas I put in my boat go. Today the charge $3 to launch my boat and tomorrow they think they can charge $10.

WI brings in more then 1.2 Million dollars in boat registration fees. 635,000 boat registered in WI

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Not to mention the other fee’s, permits, taxes, licenses and what not, that chew up way to much of peoples income already.

Personally I think I’ve paid more than my fair share already.

If the county, park board, city is truly strapped for funds, another few bucks isn’t going to kill most anyone, but if it’s because of irresponsible spending…learn to spend wisely please.

Al

My boat registration lasts for several years. 1.5 million over several years times more than 10K lakes, add in wardens, and the cost of providing the registrations. Not much per lake left for maintenance. There is always shore fishing if you don’t want to pay the fee. They also have stocking programs and census programs to make sure the walleyes are harvested in a managable way. Just saying not much to complain about here with a nominal fee to use a launch.