Understanding Boating Rules at Ohio Lakes
One of the big reasons an individual gets a lake house here in Ohio is so that they have the opportunity for recreational activities, and one of the biggest activities is boating. It is important for prospective buyers to realize that each lake in Ohio will have different boating rules and regulations and it is important for each buyer to know which lakes have which rules so that they can better understand what activities they can enjoy. Today we are going to break down the boating rules and regulations into four important groups.
1. Watercraft Types.
There are many types of Watercrafts that potential lakefront buyers can own and use at the various lakes across the State, but many lakes do not allow certain types of Watercrafts on the water. For instance Indian Lake, Buckeye Lake and Lake Erie allow houseboats at their lakes, but all private lakes in Ohio do not allow houseboats on the water. The other major type of craft that is often in contention are jet skis. Not every lake allows jet skis in their communities so buyers should be aware that despite popular belief not every lake allows personal water-crafts such as jet skis.
2. Horsepower Limits
The second category that every buyer should ask about is the horsepower limit at each lake. Every lake will have a different horsepower limit and it is important for buyers to know what the limit is at that lake. For instance Charles Mill Lake is 10 HP limit, but Apple Valley Lake has no horsepower limit.
3. Speed Limit
Prospective buyers should realize that speed limits and horsepower limits are not the same. Even though a lake may have no horsepower limit it still may have a speed limit at the lake. Although a lakefront homeowner may be at a lake with no horsepower limit and have a boat with a lot of horsepower, if they are at a lake such as Shawnee Hills and Hide-a-way Hills they both have speed limits at the lake.
4. Boat Size and Length
The last and probably most important category of boating rules is the size of the boats allowed. Most lakes will have a size limit on their boats, and those size limits will also vary by watercraft type. For instance the size limit on a pontoon boat may be one length, and the lake may have a different length limit on speedboats. Some lakes such as Seneca Lake and Tappan Lake have no size limits on their boats, but most private lakes such as Candlewood Lake have size limits on all their boats.
It is important to remember that understanding these categories of boating rules is important to buyers so that they may make a better informed decision on where they should purchase a lake house at. It would be very unfortunate if a buyer buys a lake house and then purchases a new boat or watercraft to enjoy without checking the rules and then finds out after the fact that the boat they purchased can’t be used there. Buyers should also understand these rules because many of them already own boats and jet skis. It may be better for them to purchase a lake house where they know upfront that the boat they already own can be used there.
Make sure to talk to your lakefront specialist about the boating rules and regulations at every lake so you can make a better informed decision about which lake will suit your families needs.
Written By – Justin Shelton Lakefront Consultant – The Lake Team