Boating Regulations
- All Boats must be prepped and ready to launch when entering launch area
- Prep boats in areas marked or designated by park personnel
Boat lot for trailer parking only, no cars/trucks without trailers - “Dock Master” will direct boaters on what ramp to use for launching and exiting the lake
- If “Dock Master” is not present please follow pier signage
- Launching: move your boat to the end of the pier to allow another boat to launch
- Exiting: move your boat to the first orange post to allow another boat to exit
- When “exiting” you must be at pier for trailer pickup; no moving off pier in the lake
- No bait bathroom or boat rider tie ups on piers are allowed, “touch and go” for above
- No fishing or swimming allowed off or near ramp piers
- Maximum 10 minutes allowed at piers if mechanical problems. After this time period, boat must be removed from launch area
- Inlet and Outlet are “NO WAKE ZONES”
- Be sure to remove all weeds and zebra mussels from equipment, trailer and boat before leaving park
- See “Clean Boats/Clean Waters” stands on outbound roadway
- Place all bait waste in designated barrels
- Slow No Wake Zones Entire waters of the Inlet and Outlets
- West bay areas of the lake
- 200 feet from shore around entire lake
- Slow No Wake is speed at which boat moves as slowly as possible while still maintaining steering control
- Slow No Wake is between sunset and sunrise
- Ski in traffic lane only
- Only two tow lines per boat
- Only 1 person per tow line
- No intoxicated persons on boat
- Negligent water craft operations is prohibited
- No Loitering
- Boats shall comply with manufacturers rating for people and motors
- No mooring or anchoring overnight without permit
- No mooring or anchoring in swim area, public beaches or landings
- No swimmers, snorkelers, or skin divers in traffic lane without a boat, life buoy, or able observer
- Traffic lane is surface of lake 200 feet from shore
CLEAN BOATS CLEAN WATERS
PROTECTING DELAVAN LAKE FROM NEW INVASIVE SPECIES
Clean Boats Clean Waters (CBCW) is a program in Wisconsin that has been in operation since 2004. Through CBCW, watercraft inspectors are trained to inspect boats, trailers, and equipment to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Across Wisconsin, CBCW inspectors are stationed at boat launches where they watch for potential AIS and prevent them from either entering or leaving a body of water. They also educate lake-goers about protecting our beloved lakes and gather information.
Preventing the introduction of new invasive species—by always following the inspection and prevention steps below—is an easy and effective way to help protect the lake you love. Be on the lookout for CBCW inspectors when launching or taking out your boat!
You can help protect Delavan Lake from invasive species!
INSPECT your boat, trailer, and all equipment before entering and after leaving the lake to make sure you are not transporting Aquatic invasive species (AIS) which pose a serious threat to the recreational and natural resources of the Delavan Lake. AIS compete with native species and can increase algae growth that contributes to the decline of Delavan Lake's water clarity.
REMOVE all plants, mud, and animals that you see after inspection. AIS can live in mud and a two-inch piece of some invasive plants is enough to start a whole new colony in a lake, so be thorough!
DRAIN all water from the boat (including kayaks, canoes, and all equipment), live wells, bait wells, motors, and bilges, AIS can be microscopic and not visible to the human eye. Water that looks clean may be carrying a lake harming invasive species.
NEVER MOVE live plants, fish, or fish eggs away from the water body.
DISPOSE of unwanted bait in the trash.
BUY minnows from a Wisconsin bait dealer. You may take unused minnows away from a water body and use them at a later date on that same water body. You may also take unused minnows to another water body but only if no lake or river water were added to the minnow container.