A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

DayCruiser

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Sep 24, 2004
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I have noticed a lot less boaters on our Lake this year. Used to be like a major interstate highway of boaters. Now it is like a rarely used back road. Even on the Holidays. I have never seen it like this. We have had lower than usual water levels all season but that hasn't turned the Lake into a ghost town before. The level stand at nearly 12' down but traffic was way down when it stood at 10' down. Is anybody else seeing a lot less boats on your lake this year? What do you think is the problem? I have cut back from 3 days on the lake to 2 days because of the gas prices myself. I rarely see the high powered cigarette type boaters anymore

High gas prices?
Economy?
People losing interest in boating?
A combination of the above?
 

JEBar

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Aug 4, 2012
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

as a completely unscientific observation, in our neck of the woods, it appears that big motor boat traffic is somewhat down but I can't tell much difference in smaller boat traffic .... big motor bass boats are still all over but they do seem to spend a good bit of time running their electric trolling motors .... holiday traffic has remained such that I have no desire to have ours on the pond

Jim
 

tpenfield

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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Gas prices are no higher than they have been in the past . . . actually a few years ago they were wicked high. Actually, gasoline is a relatively small portion of the cost of boating, so I don't think gas prices alone would deter people.

I boat on the ocean . . . I have not noticed much difference this year versus others. There are a few brand spanking new Grady-Whites in the harbor though . . .
 

spdracr39

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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

I would say lake usage is way up this year over the last three or four in our area. It's been a very busy season around here.
 

oldjeep

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May 17, 2010
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

I would say that we are up this year over last year. The main lakes that I use have not suffered from low water though.
 

Grub54891

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Jun 17, 2012
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

We had the busiest labor day weekend than we have had in 5 years here! Also our marina is booked solid full with a waiting list to get in. Haven't been laid off in 6 years with all the winter work we get when most of the marinas in the area are. Shoot I wish I had more time for my project's! Happy boating
Grub
 

bonz_d

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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Where my house is I can see the lake clearly. My observation has been that traffic here is down also. Now I can't say if it's because of gas prices, the extremely hig temps we've had or the low water level because of the drought or a combination of all of the above. I'm inclined to believe it's because of the low water level myself. Many of the boats on my side of the lake are almost drydocked because it's so low.

Then I'll see what kind of effect it's had once it freezes and the ice fishermen take over the lake and what kind of catches they sre getting!
 

DayCruiser

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Sep 24, 2004
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Where my house is I can see the lake clearly. My observation has been that traffic here is down also. Now I can't say if it's because of gas prices, the extremely hig temps we've had or the low water level because of the drought or a combination of all of the above. I'm inclined to believe it's because of the low water level myself. Many of the boats on my side of the lake are almost drydocked because it's so low.

Then I'll see what kind of effect it's had once it freezes and the ice fishermen take over the lake and what kind of catches they sre getting!

Oh ya, I left out the high temp factor but for the last month we have cooled down to the 85 to 95 degree range with high humidity readings Still not much improvement in boats out there
 
Joined
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Messages
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Our local marina newsletter recently reported business being best in many years. Rentals way up. We're on a good fishing lake and weather has been really good this year. I think weather is #1 factor in determining boating activity.
 

h2odick

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Jun 11, 2012
Messages
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

I'm on the west coast in Southern California, i took the family boating on Lake Mead for labor day weekend (saturday - monday), and there was way _less_ boating traffic than I expected, even upon talking to the launch ramp attendants, they mentioned it was much slower than they had expected as well. There seemed to be nobody on the upper portion of the lake (Overton, Virgin Basin..) at all..
I talked to a bunch of folks on the lake thruout the weekend, and found that the majority of the boaters i talked to were all locals, very few people seemed to come from somewhere other than close surrounding areas..
 

Lakes84

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Aug 28, 2011
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Could it be the economic down turn in some areas? Some states, cities and towns are being hit with jobless rates and unemployment more than others..... Just a guess though. On Lake of the Woods where I boat, i haven't noticed any differences. Seems to be about the same #of boats being towed down the road in Minnesota as well. Interesting topic.
 

Campylobacter

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Aug 4, 2007
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503
Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Our lake has had less traffic this year. I've been at least partly to blame, I 've done way less boating than previous years. For me the reasons have nothing to do with the economy; my oldest now has a job we need to schedule around, we took several out of state trips, etc.

All my neighbors have confirmed that the lake is "dead" however.
 

jkust

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Aug 2, 2008
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

We started with very high water levels then only very slightly low. Now that you mention it though this season when we got to a lake late in the day say around lunch time we still got a spot where as in years past the accesse would be full and we'd have to park out on the road and they were not only not full but nearly empty. The first few times I thought we got lucky but that's how it was every time we went out. We were never really in a line to get onto the lake as in years past.
 

DayCruiser

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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

I saw something that highlighted what I am talking about. A DNR(SC police boat) was sitting in the same section of the Lake this year as he was last year near my home on a Saturday afternoon. Last year he was surrounded by boats and Jet ski's in that same spot. This year, there was no one around him except us and we had just parked our boat. I kind of felt sorry for him. No one to pull over LOL
 

The Rooster

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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

I saw something that highlighted what I am talking about. A DNR(SC police boat) was sitting in the same section of the Lake this year as he was last year near my home on a Saturday afternoon. Last year he was surrounded by boats and Jet ski's in that same spot. This year, there was no one around him except us and we had just parked our boat. I kind of felt sorry for him. No one to pull over LOL

Don't worry, "The Man" will write his quota. :D About the same traffic down here as last year as far as I could tell. But now it's football season. High school, college, and the pros. The weekends are officially dead now.
 
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

The lake we use is too small for all the people that want to use it on the weekends and week nights. My dad and I have always aimed for weekday outings for calmer waters for wakeboarding and skiing.

As for your observation, it could be that people are just over-extending themselves, for time and finances.
 

SDSeville

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Mar 19, 2010
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Not a noticeable diff in So Cal or Lake Mojave this summer. We actually went out more than ever this year. With a small BR, a boating vacation is much cheaper than Disneyworld or Hawaii.
 

DayCruiser

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Sep 24, 2004
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Looks like the normal to higher traffic is leading by 5 post. 11 to 6. I agree with the poster that surmised that some states were doing better than others in the economic recovery. I am doing pretty good this year financially. But if I had to choose between eating and boating, I would choose boating :D
 

MH Hawker

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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

I haven't noticed their being less, my marina is full, and has a waiting list for slips.
 

bonz_d

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Apr 22, 2008
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Re: A Lot less boats on the Lake this Year

Was out yesterday for the 1st time in weeks, water is down more than a foot. In about 5 hours time we only saw 4 other boats the whole time. All but one were fishing, seemed more like the end of October then the beginning of Sept.
 
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