WA electric only lakes: Can't even have your gas motor on the boat?

Josh

Dead in the water
Staff member
Admin
Took the boat to a local electric lake to see how a bow mount bracket I'd cobbled together worked (Narrator: "It did not work well.....at all"). I left my gas 9.9hp on the back because it's just a little heavy for me to take off myself. I had it tilted up out of the water and didn't even have a gas tank with me.

But I got an earful from an old dude (who I think was just trying to be helpful) telling me I'd get a ticket just for HAVING the gas motor on the boat.

Is this true? Does it vary by lake/county? Or are there statewide rules? Who gives the tickets? WDFW?
 

Chadk

Life of the Party
https://www.eregulations.com/assets/docs/guides/22WAFW.pdf
WDFW says NO
Internal Combustion Motors Prohibited Fishing from a floating device with an internal combustion motor attached is not allowed regardless of whether the motor is in the water or not.

But maybe....

NOTE ABOUT LAKES If a lake is owned by a municipality such as a city or county, they have the authority to implement restrictions such as Electric Motors Only, No Motors Allowed, Night Closure, etc. For more information regarding any of these possible restrictions, you may want to contact the County's Department of Parks & Recreation or Sheriff's office before fishing.


https://snohomishcountywa.gov/850/Boating-Launching

Possibly in Snoho county....

Electric Engines​

The county code prohibits the use of internal combustion engines on certain lakes within the county. Since electric motors are not internal combustion engines, they are allowed. When motors cannot or are difficult to remove, gas cans must be removed, fuel lines disconnected, and the engine bagged. Bagging the engine is simply enclosing the propeller shaft and hub in a plastic bag and leaving it in the tilted upright position. By taking these steps, the motor is not operative or leaking petroleum product into the water. The means of propulsion for the vessel is now by electric motor or manual operation.
 

Josh

Dead in the water
Staff member
Admin

CRO

Steelhead
There are also lakes that have horsepower restrictions. A warden told me that it was ok to have a motor on the boat that exceeded the limit as long as i didnt use it.
 

troutpocket

Stillwater strategist
Early this spring I saw a big sparkly bass vessel pull into the launch at a little King County lake with a no gas motor rule. I was tisk-tisking the guy until I saw he had his lower unit on his 200hp wrapped up. It was some kind of motor diaper. He just used the bow mount electric to scoot around the shoreline throwing 12” swim baits. There must be a product available to be in compliance for those lakes?
 

CRO

Steelhead
Early this spring I saw a big sparkly bass vessel pull into the launch at a little King County lake with a no gas motor rule. I was tisk-tisking the guy until I saw he had his lower unit on his 200hp wrapped up. It was some kind of motor diaper. He just used the bow mount electric to scoot around the shoreline throwing 12” swim baits. There must be a product available to be in compliance for those lakes?
If the regs say no gas motors, it means none on the vessel. There was a time that you could get away with doing what he did. If the lake is managed by WDFW no gas motors on the vessel.
 

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter
Our local lake is operated by the COE, no gas motors at lake.
"Boating on the lake is limited to paddling, rowing, wind power, or vessels with electric motors. ***No gas engines are allowed on the water at any time. This policy protects the lake from unwanted pollutants associated with gasoline-operated motors and provides maximum space for vessels compatible with the lake’s small size."
One of the guys helping brought a boat with a motor to set buoys for the triathlon one year, it was a PITA doing it by canoe.
 

doublespey

Let.It.Swing
Forum Supporter
The lakes I fish with motor restrictions (like Cassidy) post signs at the boat launches. No sign and nothing in the WDFW regs for the lake would suggest you're free to power your boat as you please. It would seem to be common sense, but as we all know that's not something our govt institutions are known for.
 

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter

CRO

Steelhead
I guess my question is, how do you know what lakes are "managed" by WDFW vs a city/county regulation?
I've tried find online a list of lakes with restrictions here in Snohomish county with out success. I too have been to Cassidy and know of the HP restriction. I believe Martha at Warm Beach has some restriction. Would appreciate link to unlisted lake rules that are not in wdfw pamphlet if some knows of one.
 

Josh

Dead in the water
Staff member
Admin
So are we thinking that if the restriction is listed in the WDFW rules, then that is a WDFW "managed" lake and we can't have a gas motor on the boat. But if it's not listed, and there is still a restriction, then it would be up to how the individual city/county law is worded?
 

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter
"WDFW does not regulate the general use of watercraft on lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, marine areas, or other waters. Boating restrictions, including motorized boating prohibitions, are established by local ordinance. Consult your local county or city for information."
https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/water-access-sites
 

Josh

Dead in the water
Staff member
Admin
"WDFW does not regulate the general use of watercraft on lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, marine areas, or other waters. Boating restrictions, including motorized boating prohibitions, are established by local ordinance. Consult your local county or city for information."
https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/water-access-sites

But that seems to directly contradict what Chadk shared from the WDFW rules (pg 18) earlier in the thread:

https://www.eregulations.com/assets/docs/guides/22WAFW.pdf
WDFW says NO
Internal Combustion Motors Prohibited Fishing from a floating device with an internal combustion motor attached is not allowed regardless of whether the motor is in the water or not.
 

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter
But that seems to directly contradict what Chadk shared from the WDFW rules (pg 18) earlier in the thread:
Seems in this case the regs are again as clear as mud.
My aunt has a place on Phantom lake. Used to fish sunfish, then ski, then LMB in the evenings. Then the city of Bellevue put in regs, now I think they control the number of boats out or something like that. Anyway, like our COE lake, Bennington, rules may be established by another authority, and no I can't find a comprehensive list yet to help.
I do find these threads funny in a way, and I appreciate everybody here. We tend to beat ourselves up trying to do the right thing.
 

tkww

Steelhead
So are we thinking that if the restriction is listed in the WDFW rules, then that is a WDFW "managed" lake and we can't have a gas motor on the boat. But if it's not listed, and there is still a restriction, then it would be up to how the individual city/county law is worded?

That would be my interpretation. If the WDFW can tell you "electric only," it's their version that applies. If someone else is dictating "electric only," it's whatever their version is that would apply, be that a city, county, the Corp, the BLM/DNR, etc.
 

Bambooflyguy

Life of the Party
Lone lake has the stupidest rules about gas motors.....you can’t have one on your boat fishing but you can if you’re waterskiing??? Troll fast if the warden shows up? That’s my pet trout waterskiing!
 

Old Man

Just a useless Old Man.
Forum Legend
I haven't fished in Washington for over 15 years. When I did fish there that same law was in the books. People always seem to act dumb when confronted by a ranger. They say they don't understand the law as written. You weren't allowed to even hang down, for fear of it leaking oil out of the shaft.
 

Salmo_g

Legend
Forum Supporter
Some of the confusion lies in just what action a specific authority controls. WDFW does not control navigation. WDFW controls fishing. So WDFW may have a regulation that specifies one may not fish from a boat equipped with a motor even if motors are allowed on that water body for navigation by the county. Ergo, Lone Lake and its motor restriction for fishing, but you can have a motor for water skiing on that same lake. So you need to check WDFW regulations to see if motors are allowed for fishing and whichever authority manages the lake for navigation restrictions on motors.
 

Bambooflyguy

Life of the Party
Some assclowns will back their big boats on the lake boat ramp, start their motors to flush out the salt water.....really??
 
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