Speed limit changes now in effect on Lake Minnetonka
MINNETONKA, Minn. – Summer-like weather is bringing boats back out on the water, but one of the most popular spots in the Twin Cities is making some changes.
Lake Minnetonka's 5 mph speed limit now covers twice the area it did last summer.
"It's my first time out this year, hoping to catch some big ones," Enzo Moquist said.
Moquist couldn't wait to get off the ice and on the water at Lake Minnetonka.
"Just being out in the sun with my friends, having a good time," he said.
But this year, boaters like Moquist will have to take it slow near the shoreline. The new rule requires all watercraft to go 5 mph or less within 300 feet of the shoreline.
"That 150 feet rule is still in effect for watercraft traveling off docks or other boats on the lake or swimmers, so the change is just within the shorelines," Lake Minnetonka Conservation District Chair Ann Hoelscher said.
Hoelscher said the change came from concerns about large wakes created by boats.
"This is the busiest recreational lake in Minnesota, and so really all it came down to was safety and how can we allow everybody to use the lake in the most safe and enjoyable manner," she said.
Last summer, some neighbors living on Minnetonka told WCCO they had concerns about shore erosion, among other issues coming from large wakes.
Moquist will be among the wake surfers riding further away from shore.
"Having like jet skiers and parked boats around you and having to stay away from them might be a little bit of a struggle, but I think I can manage," he said.
The Hennepin County Water Patrol will be out enforcing the new rule. They say speeding tickets start at $100.
"I hope everybody comes out. That's what Minnesota summers are all about is enjoying the lake," Hoelscher said.