No Wake Restrictions To Be Lifted On Lake Minnetonka
MINNETONKA, Minn. (WCCO) – The emergency high water declaration on Lake Minnetonka will end at 12:01 a.m. Friday.
After the emergency declaration ends, the previous high water declaration will be in effect.
On Thursday, waters were calm at Gray's Bay on Lake Minnetonka Thursday.
But some fisherman expect that that will change when no-wake restrictions are lifted.
Keyon Cooley, who fishes on the lake, drags his fishing boat to a public access point at Grey's Bay at least twice a week.
"For a fisherman like myself, you get to get to your fishing hole faster," Cooley said.
It's possible some pent-up energy will be expended now that the restrictions are gone.
"It's a little bit more of a convenience. At the same time, it is going to be a little bit more hectic cause everybody hasn't really been able to enjoy the lake like they want to," Cooley said.
Cooley says it might be more hectic, but not dangerous, as boaters experience the lake the right way.
Minimum wake restrictions will still be in place under the high water declaration, however.
According to the high water declaration, it is unlawful for a person to operate a watercraft of more than five miles per hour, or a speed that results in a minimum wake, in regulated areas.
The regulated areas are defined as a surface area of the lake within a distance of 600 feet of the shoreline.
Minimum wake is defined as, "a wake moving out from the watercraft and trailing behind in a widening "V" that is of insufficient size to affect other watercraft or be detrimental to shoreline."
The high water declaration will end when water levels drop below 930.0 feet for three consecutive days.