The Spoonpluggers Forum

I just saw on the Indiana Spoonpluggers News Letter that in Indiana you cant make a "wake" within 200 feet of any shoreline.

I guess that rules out trolling at a pace to make the fish take?

I have never heard of this law?

Anyone else? When did this come into effect?

Many structure situations are far closer to the shore than 200 feet!

Is there a posted "No Wake" zone on every lake?

Are there "No wake" marker buoys on the lake to show us where this area actually is?

Is this just a jealous C.O. that stopped Denny because he "thought" he might be going fast enough to make a wake?

What speed does one have to go to make a wake?

How big is too big of a wake?

For some reason, I no longer receive the Indiana SP newsletter, but the rule has been on the books for a long time in regards to state reservoirs. It is a bit more recently applied to some natural lakes, especially the ones with strong lake associations (Wawasee, etc.).

IC 14-15-3-17

Minimum distance from shore lines

Sec. 17. (a) A person operating a motorboat may not approach or pass within two hundred (200) feet of the shore line of a lake or channel of the lake at a place or point where the lake or channel is at least five hundred (500) feet in width, except for the purpose of trolling or for the purpose of approaching or leaving a dock, pier, or wharf or the shore of the lake or channel.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), a person operating a motorboat may not approach or pass within two hundred (200) feet of the shore line of a lake or channel of the lake at a speed greater than idle speed.

(c) This subsection applies to lakes formed by hydroelectric dams in a county having a population of:

(1) more than twenty-five thousand (25,000) but less than twenty-five thousand five hundred (25,500); or

(2) more than twenty thousand (20,000) but less than twenty thousand three hundred (20,300).

A person operating a motorboat may not approach or pass within fifty (50) feet of the shore line at a speed greater than idle speed. However, on tributaries of lakes described in this subsection that are formed by hydroelectric dams, a person operating a motor boat may not approach or pass within two hundred (200) feet of the shore line of the tributary at a speed greater than idle speed. For the purposes of this chapter, tributaries on lakes formed by hydroelectric dams do not include the principal body of water flowing into the lakes.

As added by P.L.1-1995, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.38-2000, SEC.3; P.L.170-2002, SEC.93.

ANGELA GOLDMAN (ICO): When the officers are on the water, ALL of Indiana's laws are enforced. This particular law is one, that when I pull someone over for it, must boaters do not even realize it exists. Because most boaters don't realize it is a law, it is broken quite often. It seems that PWC's (person water craft) seem to be the worst violators of this rule, however I have also stopped motorboats for it as well. It is in place to protect the piers, swimmers and lake shore from speeding boats and hazardous wake/wash.

Thanks for the post Brian!

Well that sucks!
Never ever heard of it in all these years.
Guess I have broken that law a time or two over these many years!
The problem, as i see it, is what is idle speed?
For a big boat, it might idle at 4-5 mph.
While my 16 ft. Lund with a 40hp motor will idle at 2-3 mph.
Kinda hard to enforce and be fair.

Steve Craig wrote:
The problem, as i see it, is what is idle speed?
For a big boat, it might idle at 4-5 mph.
While my 16 ft. Lund with a 40hp motor will idle at 2-3 mph.
Kinda hard to enforce and be fair.

312 IAC 5-2-17 "Idle speed" defined
Authority: IC 14-10-2-4; IC 14-11-2-1; IC 14-15-7-3
Affected: IC 14

Sec. 17. "Idle speed" means the slowest possible speed, not exceeding five (5) miles per hour, so as to maintain steerage
whereby the wake or wash created by a boat is minimal. (Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 5-2-17; filed Mar 23, 2001,
2:50 p.m.: 24 IR 2366, eff Jan 1, 2002; readopted filed May 29, 2008, 1:53 p.m.: 20080625-IR-312080057RFA; errata filed Jun
2, 2009, 10:29 a.m.: 20090624-IR-312090386ACA; readopted filed Jul 17, 2014, 3:46 p.m.: 20140813-IR-312140067RFA)

LOL!

So Denny was still under that 5 mph when the C.O. stopped him? He said he was running 4- 4 1/2 mph. Out here this time of year, 6-7 mph is the norm and many times faster.
Ive seen it in Florida to make the fish take the lure that 10 mph was needed.
Ive had to run 6-8 mph in Indiana many many times.
So.......that law sucks!