Wisconsin and Vermont are trying to tackle some of the problems wake boats cause

[MrShane]

I hope the process gets going again and Utah can help stop some of the dangerous/damaging actions caused by some of these wake boat users.
Who has almost been thrown out of boat or had damage caused by man made wakes?
If we could go to some every-other wakeless water days on our most popular reservoirs it sure would curb a lot of dangerous situations.
At least with every-other day wakeless waters, at least a person could pick their poison.
Just imagine how nice it would be to go to DC, Jordy, or Pineview on a ‘wakeless’ day!!

[BYUHunter]

I am not a fan of "wakeless" days, as I think about how long it would take to run from one end of Deer Creek to the other at "wakeless" speed. Imagine running from Strawberry to Soldier Creek at wakeless - I hope you packed a lunch!

A better solution, in my mind, is alternating days of "no towables/personal watercraft", and a complete ban on towables/PWCs at other waters.

We can all agree that waters such as Willard, Deer Creek, Jordanelle, Pineview, etc. Are basically a lost cause for fishing from a boat between May and September. The ramps are a debacle, you have power squadrons passing too closely, etc. etc. Alternating days of "no towables/PWCs" would allow some level of recreational fishing through the summer.

I've also noticed an increase in the number of wake-board boats "overflowing" into Strawberry. I counted 13 lined up at the ramp when I was leaving one morning last summer. I believe that all blue-ribbon fisheries, or at very least Strawberry, should be designated as "no towables/PWCs" period.

[MrShane]

‘They’ are showing up at Fishlake also and rocking those poor little 12/14’ tinners almost out of the boat.
I think Strawberry/DC/Jordy etc have a little bit of LEO presence for those breaking proximity laws, I have never seen LEO patrolling FL waters.

[smokepoles]

Two fold perspective here. First regarding the Wisconsin and Vermont efforts, they are focused on publicly inflicted damage to privately owned shore line property. Given Utah's penchant for upholding private vs public rights, such might hold some sway here if there were substantial private property holdings around around our reservoirs. Second, is the use of public waters by differing segments of the public. Priority here is to keep open to all regardless of safety or damage to public property shorelines etc. Hard to argue that weight here is to the segment with most lobbying influence rather than equitable opportunity.

[RockyRaab2]

It is indeed a safety issue. Many times I have been standing on the bow of my bass boat, casting toward shore when suddenly pitched violently around by huge but silent waves from a wake boat. It does not take much imagination to see being thrown overboard, perhaps incapacitated. Worse, the offending wake boat would be long gone by then - or would be deliberately oblivious.

[Therapist]

Much of this could be solved by setting up bouy line that limit the power squadron to the middle of the lake! If there was a buoy line 150 ft from the shore, all around the lake, w/no wake between the buoys and the shore, you would minimize the problem significantly. By keeping the skiers and wake boarders 150 ft off shore, you will minimize the wake problem, passing to close to other craft, etc !! Utah Parks doesn't have the B***S to implement such a rule though !!! I personally minimize the problem by getting on the water early and leaving when the wakers come about 10-11!! They also need to open the lakes at safe light ( 5:00 AM ) so fisherman can get at least 6 hours of wake free fishing before the insanity starts !!!

[TubeDude]

When I lived in Ariaona there were several lakes that experimented with different "power squadron" management plans.  One lake had a limit on horsepower motors during the week...to give some folks a bit of a break.  Others tried the "one way" rule for all boats going around the lake.  Still others had sections of the lake buoyed off against wake throwing watercraft.  

On one such lake I was fishing (from my float tube) an outside point one morning, when the only powercraft on the water...with water skiers...insisted on roaring by me at full speed only a few yards away.  And then to add insult to injury the water skier dumped right near me and the whole boatload of yahoos was within easy casting distance...loud music and all.  When I "politely" voiced my displeasure with their rudeness and unsportsmanlike conduct one of the guys yelled "Why don't you fish back inside the buoy line?" (clearly not a fisherman)  I replied "Why don't you go water ski on the freeway?"  Needless to say, I accomplished nothing and after a couple more "drive-bys" I packed up and headed home.

[Therapist]

I know that this has been a problem around the State. I also know that TD can recite more than one instance where he has had to deal with crazy people doing stupid things. I watched a big ski boat run over a jet ski at Dear Creek one day trying to use the cut through at the Island. Had a bunch of kids on board, they were coming into the bay behind the Island and the ski was going out. Kid on the ski got hit with the prop a couple of times, cut his leg and back. We were fishing on the back of the Island and got to him as another boat was pulling him out of the water onto their deck. While they transported him to the ramp we ran up on the shore and to the booth to report it. They had to life flight him out. Never did hear what happened to the kid who was piloting the ski boat.

On another occasion, I was fishing the corner under the tracks at Deer Creek. I was facing the dam and a ski boat came from that direction, pulling a skier. The boat was going to go Outside me and the skier inside, pulling the rope over my boat. I had a big buzz bait on and threw it at the boat, hitting the windshield ! The girl driving made a sharp right turn out into the lake and the skier dropped off in front of me. I kept him in the water for about 30 minutes by putting my boat between him and his boat. When they would try and come in, I threw my buzz bait at them keeping them away. I finally let them pick him up and about 1/2 hour after that the ranger came to see me. I explained what had happened and they went back and gave them several tickets. Shawn Trip was the ranger at that time and he gave me a pretty good talking to, but was laughing the whole time.

So it never ends. The rangers don't have the resources to be everywhere and they don't get much support from SLC !! I doubt that I will be around to see much of a resolution of the problem !!

[MWScott72]

I don’t fish all that often in the summer from a boat, but if the problem is as bad as it is stated to be (and I believe it is, no doubt), I kinda think an every other day for people pulling towable and PWC use is the way to go. I would hate to go fish somewhere and basically have to be off the water in 4-5 hours to make way for the power squad. Costs too dang much to pull a boat somewhere and not stay till sometime early afternoon or later. I get the frustration though.

[RockyRaab2]

If you've been to the big SLC boat show, you'd quickly be shocked that 90% of the boats on display are big ski/wake monsters or jet skis. You have to search to find fishing boats. That's apparently where the boating industry is going.

Worse, there is no education or training required. It's as if they sold muscle race cars to anyone and just turned them lose on the highways. In my humble opinion, this cannot continue.

[Bduck]

One of my memorable experiences was fishing E Canyon about mid September. On a week day at that the power squadron putting in a last hoorah of the season. The day started at dawn which was nice & wakeless, by 0900 it seemed all hell broke loose with monster waves. Had a boat to come 50-60ft of me but the skier in tow intentionally came a lot closer kicking up a wall of water towards me. A pair of water cops in their patrol boat witnessed the onslaught but elected not to chase down the culprit, instead, they pulled up to me wanting to do a safety inspection and checking for a fishing license and wanting to see if I had a limit of fish. I found there was no concern for my safety and with the  lashing I provided after the interruption received, I packed up heading in to get off of the lake. Even this took me 45min to wait in line to trailer my boat.

[MrShane]

I could get behind the idea of every other day ‘no towables’.
Maybe have a place like DC ‘no towables’ on even days and a place like Pineview or Willard ‘no towables’ on odd days?
This way, those that turned in their brain as the down payment on a wake boat, can still go erode the shoreline on a lake still within reasonable distance of each other.
I vote YES!

[Paddler]

I could get behind the idea of every other day ‘no towables’.
Maybe have a place like DC ‘no towables’ on even days and a place like Pineview or Willard ‘no towables’ on odd days?
This way, those that turned in their brain as the down payment on a wake boat, can still go erode the shoreline on a lake still within reasonable distance of each other.
I vote YES!

I take photos of boats that violate the proximity rule and call the rangers.  It's really amazing how apologetic the violators become when you let them know they can expect to have a chat with law enforcement.

[wormandbobber]

I think we need an every other day no float tubes, kahyaks, or non-powered boats rule....damn things make it hard for me to surf around!! Better yet, let's just ban the non-powered floaters including float tubes, rafts, kayaks, canoes, etc. every day. Our lakes and reservoirs would be so much safer...

...seriously, the reality is that one of the natural dangers of fishing on popular waters from tubes or small watercraft are other boats and the waves they throw off. The last thing I would ever want is for legislation or rules being made to govern the recreation of those who enjoy recreating on the water differently than I do. We have a lot of small waters where motorized boats are already not allowed...instead of limiting the use of large bodies of water that are popular, go somewhere else if you are that concerned!

[smokepoles]

So the rules that limit my use to after 6 am is OK for 'convenience' in enforcement or such, but not OK to limit the access to activity that is damaging shores and posing safety hazard? I do have to say that one of the best things ever to come from COVID was state parks willing to close down once deemed full. And to size of water, it is not what consider large water to be the issue, rather density of use.. I mean, they used to let almost unlimited launch and then overflow parking on Hyrum and now it is not uncommon to see them turning boats away once the boat parking is full. It is beyond common sense to see the size boats on Newton given its small size and width. Maybe they need timed entry at Pineview?

[wormandbobber]

It is also beyond common sense to not use your float tube or small watercraft on a water in times when motorized boats are at high usage rates...

...sorry, but I think your argument is crap! Why should one be limited and not the other? Again, if you are worried about dangers, go somewhere else.

[smokepoles]

I concede to your point, and I propose a reasonable usage limit established by water agencies based on water size and where my kayak, small boat and towers, whatever, are all included in the on-water count so not to limit one and not the other.

[BYUHunter]

It is also beyond common sense to not use your float tube or small watercraft on a water in times when motorized boats are at high usage rates...

...sorry, but I think your argument is crap! Why should one be limited and not the other? Again, if you are worried about dangers, go somewhere else.

We all pay taxes, and the "somewhere else's" are drying up fast as the state population grows. These resources need to be managed in a way that benefits everybody, and currently between the months of May and September, it is dominated by one group. That needs to be addressed. Period.

[RockyRaab2]

There are no simple solutions to any complex problem.

One approach may be to limit or prohibit high-wake craft on bodies of water less than a certain acreage. Alternate days or weekends has already been mentioned. Horsepower limits are possible.

None of those are without complications, but clearly SOMETHING ought to be done before serious injury or property damage happens.

[smokepoles]

Just an update that the Vermont rule passed:

Starting April 15, 2024, wakesports using a wakeboat shall only occur within defined wakesport zones. This rule only applies to those who operate a wakeboat in Vermont’s lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. The new rules were added under Section 3 of the Use of Public Waters Rules.

A wakesport zone is defined as an area of a lake or pond that has a minimum of 50 contiguous acres that are:

At least 500 feet from shore on all sides.
At least 20 feet deep
At least 200 feet wide

Only lakes and ponds that vessels powered by internal combustion motors are allowed and may be used at speeds exceeding 5 miles per hour are eligible for wakesport zones.

Wakesports zones are open to all uses permitted on the subject waterbody and not exclusive to wakesports

Based on the criteria above, 30 inland lakes and ponds in Vermont are eligible for wakesports, that are regulated under the Use of Public Waters Rules. The Use of Public Waters Rules restricting wakesports to wakesports zones do not apply to Lake Champlain, Wallace Pond, Lake Memphremagog, and Connecticut River Reservoirs.

Under this Rule, wakesports are prohibited on all other lakes, ponds and reservoirs under jurisdiction of Use of Public Waters Rules Rules.

Please note: These maps are generated using spatial analysis and bathymetric data; additional ground-truthing may be required, and waterbody conditions may change over time.