Wisconsin Wake Boat study

Well now ya got the Minnesotans all riled up. The DNR has this on their Facebook, and so does our local angling page.

Rodwork wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
Maybe, but then they can’t surf on the wake, which is kind of the whole point.

Correct. But they can still pleasure cruse. So it doesn’t stop them from enjoying one body of water.

Aslong as they take the ballast out of there boats they can cruise. Man on whitefish there few boats that cruise around fully ballast my lord the waves are huge when they are going slow.

Charles wrote:

Aslong as they take the ballast out of there boats they can cruise. Man on whitefish there few boats that cruise around fully ballast my lord the waves are huge when they are going slow.

If some ass hat is running around with the ballast full and not using for wake surfing I think its fair game to sink that sob.

Ripjiggen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bzzsaw wrote:</div>
The lake our cabin is on in WI is 350 acres. Our Lake District has approved and implemented restrictions on when they can be used with Wake Enhancing. They are to pretty much stay down center of Lake and I believe are restricted to 10am – 6pm use. I don’t think they will ever go away. We don’t have a good means to even enforce the restrictions they came up with. Most owners of them on our lake are good about following the restrictions, but definitely now all. I personally can’t stand them. I ended up putting rip rap on my entire shoreline because of the erosion they were causing. Same can be said with 80% of my neighbors.

A lake association can ask politely all they want or put up their own signs. Not that you would have to follow that request.

Rip,
In Wisconsin there are Lake Associations and Lake Districts. Lake associations can’t tax lake owners or have regulations. A Lake District can. Our lake has a Lake District that was approved by the majority of lake owners. We pay a lake district tax each year that helps treat milfoil as well as other things that benefit the lake. Lake Districts can apply for DNR grants but Lake Associations can’t. Our district has spent alot of time studying the impact of wake boats. We have had surveys regarding the wake board boats and the overwhelming majority of property owners voted for the restrictions.

All this being said, it is still hard to enforce the Lake District regulations. I’m not sure how you would get the DNR or sheriff out to enforce something. We do have signs posted at the landing listing the restrictions.

Are lake district regulations even enforceable ? Are they state or dnr regulations or something local land owners would like to see ?

Speaking for (or in I should say) Wisconsin, it is almost always the Municipality that sets the boating regulation laws for no wake zones, ski times or no wake times as they control the land around lake. Even lakes that have no gas motors allowed are set by the Town or Municipality, NOT the County or State.
This may vary by some degree with lakes surrounded by State Land or other extenuating circumstances so it is not 100%.
What is funny is in almost all cases a warden cannot enforce a town no-wake, speed limit or whatever the rule broken was because they do not have jurisdiction. They can say “I wont fine you for the no-wake violation but I will go easy on you and get you for your battery not being secured or maybe no life jackets as those are State Laws.
same goes for the Sheriffs Dept. If the Town/Municipality doesnt contract and/or have an agreement with the Sheriffs Dept. the Sherriff cannot enforce their Town laws, only state. Sounds strange but true.

Mike m wrote:

Are lake district regulations even enforceable ? Are they state or dnr regulations or something local land owners would like to see ?

Mike m,
I believe they are in WI. I also believe our Lake District worked with the Maple Plain Township to come up with the restrictions we have. I still am skeptical on how you would get them enforced though.

Sorry, I have a good link that explains the powers provided to a Lake District but IDO doesn’t make that very easy. I give up.

bzzsaw wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Mike m wrote:</div>
Are lake district regulations even enforceable ? Are they state or dnr regulations or something local land owners would like to see ?

Mike m,
I believe they are in WI. I also believe our Lake District worked with the Maple Plain Township to come up with the restrictions we have. I still am skeptical on how you would get them enforced though.

Sorry, I have a good link that explains the powers provided to a Lake District but IDO doesn’t make that very easy. I give up.

Have a grumpy old lady at the landings yelling at people about what they can’t do. At least that’s what they do here when we go to these type of lakes and every neighbor says it’s their lake.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/33

Have a grumpy old lady at the landings yelling at people about what they can’t do. At least that’s what they do here when we go to these type of lakes and every neighbor says it’s their lake.
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Hahahaha or a grumpy older gentleman. Either way, yup. I do find talking to them respectfully(which I’m sure they’re not too used to) gets things running a lot smoother and quicker… Must be super boring sitting there all day. But yeah still not our problem.

This problem is being taken into the hands of local ordinances and lake associations in Wisconsin now. They are not waiting for the state to pass general legislation. “Neighbor against neighbor.” Yeah, right. Running a wake boat on a 150 acre lake with an average depth of 7 feet is clearly causing damage and its no wonder everyone else on the lake is upset at you.

“Wakeboard boats… don’t have poop – that’s our lake bottom!”

HAHAHAHAAAAA!!! THAT OLD LADY IS AWESOME!