Own Your Wake

Written By Mark Anderson

Summer is the time for fun on the water. It is also a good time to remember the DNR’s motto to “Own Your Wake, For Everyone’s Sake.”

Boat wakes can cause safety issues for people and wildlife as well as environmental damage from shoreline erosion and siltation.

Have fun on the lake, but be safe and respectful to others

  • Personal watercraft are required to stay at least 150 feet from shore (half a football field).

  • Boats do not have a set distance to maintain from shore, but the recommendation is to stay at least 200 feet from shore.

  • If using a watercraft that enhances wakes,the Minnesota Coalition of Lake Associations recommends: 1.) Stay 500 feet (greater than a football field) away from shore/other boaters. 2.) Operate at a depth greater than 20 feet to avoid damage to habitat for fish on the lake bottom.

  • Respect “no wake” zones of our lake.

“Under Minnesota law, the damage your wake causes is treated the same as damage caused by an actual collision,” according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/boatwater/own-your-wake.html
https://mncola.org/tag/wake-boats/

Mark Anderson
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