Michigan DNR Final Report on Wake Boats

After previewing a draft of the report last Fall, the Michigan DNR Fisheries Division has just published its final report on Wake Boats, and it’s even more comprehensive in this final form.

The basic recommendations of the report are as follows:

1. Boats operating in wake-surfing mode or wake-boarding mode, during which boat speed, wave shapers, and/or ballast are used to increase wave height, are recommended to operate at least 500 feet from docks or the shoreline, regardless of water depth.
2. Boats operating in wake-surfing or wake-boarding modes are recommended to operate in water at least 15 feet deep.
3. Ballast tanks should be completely drained prior to transporting the watercraft over land.

The GLQO is sharing this report in the hopes that all stakeholders in and around local lakes can work together to minimize the impact of wake boats with minimal impact on the enjoyment they provide!