State updates wakesports rules to reflect recent revisions
June 24, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout
New rules governing wakesports on Vermont lakes no longer allow the activity on the Waterbury Reservoir. File photo by Gordon Miller
After a recent decision by a legislative rules committee to revise rules for recreational wakesports on Vermont’s inland lakes, the state Department of Environmental Conservation says the new rules are now in effect, with details posted online.
On May 21, the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules voted to adopt amendments to the Use of Public Waters Rules proposed by the Agency of Natural Resources. These revisions updated the rules that were adopted in 2024 when wakesports were approved for 30 inland Vermont lakes. The recent update outlined new criteria that eliminated 12 of those lakes from the list, including the Waterbury Reservoir.
The new rules went into effect on June 11. In addition to reducing the number of lakes in Vermont where wakesports are allowed, they also update the requirements for decontaminating (cleaning) all ballasted vessels, including wakeboats.
Wakeboats are a type of motorboat with one or more ballast tanks, ballast bags, or other devices or design features that increase the size of the motorboat’s wake. Creating a large wake from a wakeboat for recreation such as waterskiing is referred to as “wakesports.”
Vermont regulates wakesports to protect water quality, wildlife, the safety of other users, and to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species.
“Our department has run a highly collaborative and transparent process to develop and adopt these changes to the Use of Public Waters Rules,” said DEC Commissioner Misty Sinsigalli. “We carefully considered over 1,500 public comments from lake associations, environmental organizations, the boating industry, and groups representing paddlers, anglers, water skiers, and wildlife enthusiasts. This multi-year public engagement process made it possible for us to develop a fair, balanced rule to resolve conflict between various uses on public waters.”
Those who wish to engage in wakesports this summer, need to know that the list of lakes where wakesports is allowed has been revised to fewer lakes. Wakesports also must be contained to designated zones on each lake. Maps of each lake noting the zones are found on the Department of Environmental Conservation’s wakesports webpage.
Other key details:
Wakesports must occur at least 500 feet away from other recreational users on the allowed lakes, such as swimmers and boaters.
Those engaging in wakesports must maintain at least a 500-foot distance from any signed loon nesting sites during loon nesting season (May 1 through July 31).
A wakeboat may operate without filling the ballast tank(s), not creating an enhanced wake, on any lake or pond where traditional motorboats are allowed, provided decontamination requirements are followed.
Any ballasted vessel, including wake boats, being moved between different water bodies requires hot water decontamination.
In addition to the now 18 inland lakes where wakesports may take place, the current state regulations allow wakesports on Vermont’s cross-boundary lakes, including Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, the Connecticut River reservoirs, and Wallace Pond, according to state officials.
The revised wakesports rules can be found online on the Department’s Use of Public Waters Rules page.