Be Wake Smart – Wake Sports on NY Lakes

By Abigail Caron

Spending time at “the lake” is a quintessential part of summer in New York and for many, that includes motorboats zipping by with a tube or waterskier in tow. In recent years, wake sports such as wakesurfing and wakeboarding have surged in popularity, bringing specialized motorboats called wake boats onto the scene. Some lake-goers say that these new boats enhance their lake activities by creating bigger wakes to ride. For many, however, wake boats are a cause for concern. Lake communities around the country are pushing for regulations on where wake sports may occur in an interest of protecting fragile ecosystems and recreation. On June 11, 2026, the state of Vermont tightened existing rules regarding wake boats and wake sports on their inland lakes. In New York, environmental groups are currently working to understand the concerns of lake communities and organize ways to educate the public on the effects of enhanced wakes. 

A wake boat is a motorboat that has one or more ballast tanks, ballast bags or other devices or design features used to increase the size of the motorboat’s wake. These boats produce large wakes so that people can ride the artificial waves on surfboards, wakeboards, hydrofoils, or similar devices. In addition to their internal ballast systems, which can hold between 200 and 600 gallons of water on average, these boats are equipped with a deep hull and wake-shaping attachments. The ballast tanks allow the rear of the vessel to sit lower in the water, generating more displacement and a larger wake. It is important to note that wake boats can operate as typical motorboats when the ballast system is not in use. 

Those in opposition to wake sports cite a study conducted by the University of Minnesota that concluded that waves generated by wake boats “require distances greater than 500 feet from the shoreline/docks and other boats to decrease their wake wave characteristics to levels similar to the non-wakesurf boats.” Other studies have found that waves generated by wake boats contain 2 to 10 times the amount of energy than the waves produced by traditional motorboats. More powerful waves have been shown to increase erosion of the shoreline and disturb wildlife. Loons, for example, rely on placid shores for nesting and may be sensitive to increasingly choppy waters.

Additionally, the Green Lake Association of Wisconsin has established that the propeller slipstream that wake boats expel can disrupt lake-bottom sediment and aquatic plant beds in shallow depths. Shoreline erosion coupled with lakebed disruption releases phosphorus into the water, stimulating algae growth and an overall deterioration of water quality. A wake boat’s ballast system also makes an ideal spot for aquatic invasive species to hide and be transferred between bodies of water as it is difficult to properly drain the tanks; an average of five gallons of water remains after typical draining.

While the available studies provide important information on the environmental effects of wake boats, it is only the beginning of research being done in this area. In fact, wake boat enthusiasts say that until more research is done, the stricter rules don’t seem to make sense. 

The safety of others recreating in public waters has been brought up as a concern as well, however. Paddlers, swimmers, and even those with small motorboats have reportedly been swamped by the large waves produced by wake boats. Lakefront property owners have cited damage to their docks, moored boats, and other shoreline structures due to the force and height of the enhanced waves. “These are not just bigger waves – they carry more energy and travel further,” Scott Ireland, executive director of the Adirondack Lakes Alliance, says.

In an effort to address these concerns, a group of various Adirondack environmental organizations hosted a webinar on January 14, 2026, drawing attendees statewide. They discussed the current research and feedback from lake communities and established five areas of concern: shoreline erosion and damage to docks and shoreline structures; disturbance to wildlife such as loons and other shoreline species; safety and interference with paddlers and other nonmotorized vessels; sediment disruption; and the spread of aquatic invasive species.

The coalition has established recommendations in the form of draft town laws, which will be shared with Adirondack and greater New York lake associations. The guidelines include limiting the use of enhanced wakes to bodies of water with at least 60 acres. Further, they suggest wake sports only occur in areas at least 30 feet deep and 1,000 feet from the nearest shoreline. They have established these guidelines as best practices for wake boat operators throughout New York, though they hope that municipalities will further implement them as regulations, with the ability to modify them as they see fit. 

The group is also working on effective, wide-spread education for all boaters, not just those participating in wake sports. By working with marinas and launch sites, they hope to raise awareness of how to recreate responsibly when operating a motorboat. The proposed regulations pertaining to depth and distance from the shoreline would only apply to wake boats when ballast systems are in-use, not to traditional motorboats. 

The overwhelming consensus is that education, awareness, and collaboration with the wake boat community are of the utmost importance, allowing all voices to be considered when proposing these regulations. Vermont, for example, has paved the way for wake sports rules and was largely successful by ensuring everyone is involved in the conversation and decision making. New York hopes to follow in their footsteps, establishing reasonable and responsible wake sports regulations.

Abigail Caron (abigail@adksports.com) is an editor for Upstate Sports and Vermont Sports magazines. She enjoys any time that she can spend outside and is often found cycling, running, hiking, or skiing. Abigail also loves to spend time with her cat, Brick, and her dog, Leo. She recently graduated from Champlain College and now lives in Vergennes, VT.