Contact: Steve Lyons (608) 220-7478
Celebrity musky angler Pete Maina and Walleyes for Tomorrow cite “troubling” reports of barren lake bottoms from unnatural waves and downward prop wash
Madison—November 20, 2023—Prominent members of the Wisconsin fishing community are joining Lakes at Stake Wisconsin in calling for urgent action to protect state fisheries from the ravages of wake-enhanced boating on Wisconsin lakes.
“We’ve gotten reports from around the state the past year that are troubling,” warns Mike Arrowood, State Chairman of Walleyes for Tomorrow, a conservation organization. “ Many underwater humps and reefs that previously held beneficial vegetation are now bare. Vegetative flats are also getting destroyed. Of further concern is a potential decline in needed dissolved oxygen levels, due to sediment disruption. We need action, and now. This is why we support Lakes at Stake.”
Weighing as much as 12,000 pounds, wake enhanced boats are designed to create ocean size surf waves that have a destructive impact on fishing and fishing habitat. The powerful downward prop wash has been shown to disrupt sediment and vegetation as deep as 20 feet below the surface.
In addition, as the powerful waves carry across the water, they disrupt and destroy shoreline littoral zones and fish habitat. And local anglers are becoming increasingly alarmed by what they are seeing.
Legendary Musky angler and TV personality, Pete Maina of Hayward said, “I thought these boats a nuisance to some degree (though all share the water). But the habitat destruction issue is big–removal of deeper weedbeds is horrible for fisheries.”
Recreational fishing is a major Wisconsin industry, providing recreation, jobs, and tourism dollars. Per the Wisconsin DNR, almost $2.3 billion annually is generated from fishing related economic activity. The fishing industry provides over 21,500 people with jobs, and Wisconsin ranks third in the nation as a nonresident fishing destination, with more than 1.2 million fishing licenses issued in 2022.
Lakes At Stake Wisconsin, (LSW) a Wisconsin-based bipartisan group, was formed with a single focus: to stop the damage being done to Wisconsin lakes by wake enhanced boating. The non-profit association consists of a strong cross-section of Wisconsin residents that support the interests of boaters, fisherman, paddle sports enthusiasts, swimmers, sailors, property owners, and the tourism industry.
LSW is asking the Wisconsin Legislature to adopt a statute that would prohibit enhanced wake sports on Wisconsin lakes on small and medium sized lakes, and promote local control to regulate wake boating on larger lakes.
For more information about Lakes At Stake Wisconsin, go to lakesatstake.org or visit us on Facebook and X @lakesatstake.
