10 hp lakes

[MH Hawker]

i was just wondering how many of you are slip keeping a boat on a 10 hp lake its some what common

 

[gm280]

I don't have a boat on a 10HP lake, but every state run fishing lake here in Georgia is rated for 10 HP max. However, I use to take my bass boat into those lakes and just use a trolling motor to fish them. The Game Wardens would watch me like a hawk just wishing I would crank up the 115 TOP Merc. They would stand at the bridges and watch me the entire time. I never gave them a reason to write me a ticket. I have heard that some wardens want you to give them your prop to be able to fish lakes like that. But that is never going to happen with me. If an emergency ever cropped up, that motor would fire up in a heart beat. I'll pay the fine. JMHO

 

[82rude]

Until i joined this site i had never even known there was such a thing as 10hp max lakes.

 

[Chryslerman123]

My local lake is state owned and 10hp max but you can run any HP outboard at idle only. That is convenient because it's a fairly large lake. There are a few boats slipped there though.

 

[dingbat]

Never heard of such a thing. Our restricted lakes, actually reservoirs, are electric only

 

[82rude]

Whats the reason behind 10hp max lakes?Up here where i live in n. ontario ive heard of no motor areas usually in a park.

 

[MH Hawker]

i dont know the exact regulations but its small lakes normally under 1000 acres, and the main reason i am on one i my wife, she has a fear of water and my love of being on the water so a pontoon boat on the 10 hp lake is the comprise we found, the wakes on bigger lakes scare her and at first it drove me nuts but i have come to enjoy it a lot, to start out no jet skies those are out of control on a normal lake and no 300 hp bass holes, its mostly families and kids, and after i started getting used it it was the people, some of the nicest i have ran across in years and due to the slower speeds i was able to kick back and relax while driving and just enjoy the ride

 

[David Young]

I too have never heard of a 10 horsepower limit lake until joining the Forum . Must be for safety and to keep the shore erosion down ?

 

[WIMUSKY]

You would think you should be able to crank up any motor as long as you didn't go over 10mph..... Who cares if you idle a 115......

 

[southkogs]

I too have never heard of a 10 horsepower limit lake until joining the Forum .

LOL ... at 10HP max it would take us a month of Sundays to get across some of the impounds down here! I've got an old 7HP outboard that I hope to run on Percy Priest in the next year ... gonna' be funny to see how long it takes me to run the length of it. At 30MPH it's around a 1/2 hour ride.

My FIL's lake (probably about 60 acres as a guess) is regulated by the homeowner's association. Mainly to keep noise, traffic, wakes and the like at a dull roar.

 

[JASinIL2006]

10 HP limit is a good way to keep big boats and PWC from zooming around and creating noise and making wakes that cause shoreline erosion and damage sensitive areas for wildlife. I thought I had heard that sort of limit was the reason we see 9.9 HP outboards... because of lakes with a "less than 10 HP" rule.

We have a 'no-wake' lake (a reservoir, actually) near us, and it's more or less the same thing.

 

[88evinrude]

most of the limited lakes around me are electric only but you cant leave a boat in them either

 

[Alumarine]

In Canada, a boat with 10hp or greater must be licensed. Hence the popularity of the 9.9's for small boats.
Sorry, slightly off topic.

 

[SeaDooSam]

I have heard of some changing the stickers. Of course you couldn't disguise a 115 as a 10 but maybe a 15hp could be disguised lol. My guess is they do it to a) keep away large amounts of boats and keep pollution down. B) safety and erosion concerns as said before.
A know of a couple here in MA. On the lake near me they have a better rule, no hp limit but jet skis are prohibited.

 

[ondarvr]

Yes, the 10HP to 9.9 change was for registration purposes, it predated the HP limitations on lakes.

There are various reasons for the HP limits, people have attempted to get around them for decades, and many bodies of water have gone to electric only to make limitation and enforcement easier. Plus the lake shore residents like the peace and quiet.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Plus the lake shore residents like the peace and quiet.

I'm sure they do since a lot of them think it's "their" lake, at least around here. Heck, they shut down water skiing by 6pm. So if you work, you'll have to wait until the weekend..... That includes a bunch of lakes that fall within the town limits. Our "town" is 36 square miles. More of a township.......

 

[Patfromny]

You would think you should be able to crank up any motor as long as you didn't go over 10mph..... Who cares if you idle a 115......

My 9.5 on a 1542 Jon boat gets into the 20's. Would rather leave it at a hp limit. My lake has a 40 hp limit. Mainly for the quiet as the lake is marketed as a fishing resort. No jet skis. 14 ft minimum so no 12 ft race boats with 40's on them. Also water-skiing from 1 to 6pm in the ski area only, which is in the middle of the lake.

 

[MH Hawker]

I have heard of some changing the stickers. Of course you couldn't disguise a 115 as a 10 but maybe a 15hp could be disguised lol. My guess is they do it to a) keep away large amounts of boats and keep pollution down. B) safety and erosion concerns as said before.
A know of a couple here in MA. On the lake near me they have a better rule, no hp limit but jet skis are prohibited.

thas been done on my lake but the DNR is known to a spot check on serial numbers and if caught its a hefty fine or you lose your boat

not sure where all this may apply but on my lake you can have a big motor boat but the prop must be removed and have the motor tilted up so it can be sean

 

[SeaDooSam]

thas been done on my lake but the DNR is known to a spot check on serial numbers and if caught its a hefty fine or you lose your boat

not sure where all this may apply but on my lake you can have a big motor boat but the prop must be removed and have the motor tilted up so it can be sean

Wow...awfully strict. I just avoid all those lakes because we like fast lol. However, truth is a little aluminum skiff could easily do 20 with a 10

 

[MH Hawker]

i agree thats its strict but its the point of a low hp lake

in fact 3 years ago the DNR did a blitz on the Friday night bass tourny and its was bad they wrote over 30 tickets at 250 a pop for 25 or less and seized 5 boats for 25 plus hp and no the 5 owners wont get their boats back those were sold at auction

i am often out on friday nights fishing and in the last few years its been nice prior to the blitz boat with no lights was common and i can tell you from personal experience that sitting and hearing a boat running at speed in the dark with no lights is a bit un nerving or running across one sitting with no lights is not good, so i didnt really mind