Wisconsin: Boat Motor Rules by Lake
3 electric-only · 3 no-motor · 1 hp-limit · 2 all-lake no-wake · 1 zoned lakes in our database
Quick answer
Wisconsin sets motor rules lake by lake, not statewide. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources administers and enforces the state boating code, Wis. Stat. ch. 30, subch. V (ss. 30.50-30.80), which applies uniformly statewide. Under Wis. Stat. s. 30.77(3), towns, villages and cities - and in certain cases public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts and town sanitary districts - may enact local boating ordinances tailored to local conditions if not contrary to ch. 30. Where no local ordinance exists, the state defaults apply, including the speed restrictions of s. 30.66. Boating on DNR-managed properties such as state parks and forests is further regulated by Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 45. Every lake below links to the official rule it summarizes, with a verification date.
How Wisconsin's restricted lakes split
- No motors 3
- Electric only 3
- HP limit 1
- No wake 2
- Zoned 1
Who regulates Wisconsin lakes
Wis. Stat. s. 30.66(3)(a) requires slow-no-wake speed within 100 feet of any dock, raft, pier or buoyed restricted area on any lake; s. 30.66(3)(ag) requires motorboats other than personal watercraft to run slow-no-wake within 100 feet of any lake shoreline (municipalities may exempt or shorten this distance); and s. 30.66(3)(ar) requires personal watercraft to run slow-no-wake within 200 feet of any lake shoreline. Under s. 30.635, motorboats on public-access lakes of 50 acres or less are limited to slow-no-wake unless the lake is a thoroughfare between navigable lakes. Local ordinances enacted under s. 30.77 must be filed with the DNR, which publishes them in an online local boating ordinance database and advises boaters to check signs posted at public landings. Regulatory buoys and markers require a DNR permit under s. 30.74(2) and Wis. Admin. Code NR 5.09. On state park and forest waters, Wis. Admin. Code NR 45.11 prohibits motorboats outright on listed waters (sub. (4)), limits other listed waters to battery-powered electric motors at slow-no-wake not exceeding 5 mph (sub. (6)), and caps Blackhawk Lake at slow-no-wake (sub. (8)).
Motor restrictions on Wisconsin lakes
Click a column header to sort. Every row links to a full rules page with the official source.
| Lake | Motor rule | HP limit | Acres | County | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackhawk Lake | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | — | Iowa | |
| Crystal Lake | No Motors Allowed | — | — | Vilas | |
| Devil's Lake | Electric Motors Only | — | — | Sauk | |
| Fish Lake | Electric Motors Only | — | — | Dane | |
| Interfalls Lake | No Motors Allowed | — | — | Douglas | |
| Kangaroo Lake | Zoned Restrictions | — | — | Door | |
| Little Falls Lake | No Motors Allowed | — | — | St. Croix | |
| Mirror Lake | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | — | Sauk | |
| Starrett Lake | Electric Motors Only | — | — | Vilas | |
| White Lake | 75 HP limit | 75 | — | Marquette |
Browse by restriction type
Frequently asked questions
Who sets lake motor rules in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources set and publish boating restrictions for Wisconsin waters, and counties or cities can layer local ordinances on top. In short: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources administers and enforces the state boating code, Wis. Stat. ch. 30, subch. V (ss. 30.50-30.80), which applies uniformly statewide. Under Wis. Stat. s. 30.77(3), towns, villages and cities - and in certain cases public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts and town sanitary districts - may enact local boating ordinances tailored to local conditions if not contrary to ch. 30. Where no local ordinance exists, the state defaults apply, including the speed restrictions of s. 30.66. Boating on DNR-managed properties such as state parks and forests is further regulated by Wis. Admin. Code ch. NR 45.
Are lakes electric-only by default in Wisconsin?
Not statewide, but many managed lakes are. Our Wisconsin database currently lists 3 electric-only lakes. Agency-owned fishing lakes are the most common electric-only waters; large reservoirs usually allow gas motors. Each lake page cites the exact rule.
How do I find rules for a lake not listed here?
Go straight to the agency: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/boat). Search the lake name plus "boating regulations", or call the district office for the county. Our guide on who regulates your lake explains which agency to try first.
About this data
Each lake page cites the official regulation it summarizes (agency link and document type) and shows its own verification date. Data vintage: oldest verification .
Boating across state lines? Neighboring pages in our coverage loop: Washington lake motor rules and Indiana lake motor rules — same format, same official-source standard.