Homeowner: Keep 150 ft away from my dock!

[Dave R]

Originally Posted by Rich

Yes it's a big lake, and all of it is beautiful. Many people have their favorite spots, homeowners don't get to carve out their own private area and say 'stay away from me', no more than a boater or fisherman can say 'this is my private spot to fish' or 'my family and I have been anchoring in this spot for years so stay away'.

I was in Braun Bay early on Sunday and the MP came by to tell me and the other folks that were there early to tell people not anchor within 25' of my boat, and to call them if anyone ignored my instruction. They said there would be no warnings given, just tickets. I politely explained it to all who tried to anchor near my boat (not because I care about the 25 feet or had any intention of dropping a dime an anyone, but because I did not want to see anyone get a ticket) and people anchored with plenty of room. I honestly don't think the MP really expected anyone to call, they got their point across perfectly and the news spread really quickly.

So, knowing that... Oddly enough, NRZs allow one to make one's own private anchoring spot. If you want to have a 50 foot area with no boats in it around your boat, arrive at a NRZ early in the day and raft up with another boat when the place is empty. Once you've done that, no one can legally anchor within 50 feet of you of any part of your boat.