In 2024, Vermont made national headlines by adopting what was described as the first-of-its-kind statewide wake sports rule. For years, wake boats could be operated almost anywhere watercraft were allowed. This sport allows family and users of all ages a safe and new kind of recreational opportunity.
On April 15, 2024, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) finalized a rule that confined wake sports to what it calls “wake sport zones.” Under this rule, inland lakes must meet specific criteria to host wakesurfing: the lake must have at least 50 contiguous acres of surface area; those wakesports must take place at least 500 feet from shore on all sides; and the water there must reach at least 20 feet deep. By applying these criteria, only 30 of the state’s many lakes and ponds became eligible for wakesports, cutting the number of inland lakes where wakesurfing could legally occur from 73 down. The rule also included a “home lake” provision requiring wake boats to stay on the same lake for a calendar year unless they underwent decontamination intended to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species. The statewide rule does not apply to boundary waters such as Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, the Connecticut River reservoirs, or Wallace Pond, which remain open to wakesports under broader boating rules.
The 2024 rule was the culmination of a citizen-led push that began with a petition by a group called Responsible Wakes for Vermont Lakes, which argued that large wakes could harm shoreline infrastructure, disturb wildlife like loon nests, and contribute to shoreline erosion or sediment disruption. This rule unfairly singled out a specific type of boat and activity without sufficient evidence of harm.
Now, in 2026, Vermont is once again considering changes to the state’s Use of Public Waters Rules that would impact wakesports. The DEC launched a pre-rulemaking process to gather feedback on proposed revisions, partly driven by petitions from lake associations seeking to remove wakesports entirely from individual lakes that currently qualify. Some of the potential changes being discussed include reducing the number of lakes eligible for wakesports from the current 30 to as few as 18, and a 500 foot buffer zone in order to operate this type of vessel.
For wakesports enthusiasts and many lake users, these proposals raise serious concerns about access and fairness. Where the 2024 rule already limited wakesurfing to a small subset of lakes, proposals to reduce that number further would squeeze out even more Vermonters who enjoy these activities. In the eyes of many anglers, boaters, and families who recreate on Vermont waters, the current debate reflects a broader tension: environmental groups and some private property owners are pushing for increasingly restrictive measures that target specific user groups, even when the science supporting such restrictions is limited or contested. While studies and citizen testimony often cite potential shoreline impacts or water quality concerns, Vermont’s own records from the first year of the wake sports rule showed that wake boats represented a very small fraction of observed motorized boat launches (about 1.1 percent) and that there were no substantiated complaints or official violations tied directly to wakesports in that season.
Make no mistake, these restrictions are coming to a lake near you if we do not stand up to these arbitrary rules now. Groups are already calling for New York to adopt similar rules as Vermont. These restrictions will only spread throughout the nation if approved. Submit a comment by February 20th using the tool below to send a letter to the State of Vermont and elected officials telling them to oppose the 2025 changes and continue only with the 2024 rules.
