How HB 1062 Could Protect Small Indiana Lakes

Operating any boat in shallow water or near shore can negatively impact our lakes. However, large waves created by wake boats can be especially damaging to small lakes.

Wake surfing and wake boating on small lakes raise serious concerns due to their potential impacts on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. The larger waves they produce can accelerate shoreline erosion, while the strong downward thrust—especially in shallow areas—disturbs the lake bottom, damaging habitat and resuspending sediment and phosphorus into the water.

The good news? Recently proposed legislation could help protect small Indiana lakes from the effects of wake boating activities.

What is HB 1062?

State Representative Dave Abbott has introduced House Bill 1062 to address some concerns and impacts of wake boats and wake surfing.

There are two main components to the bill:

• No wake surfing (which can be done at speeds just under 10 mph) between sunset and sunrise.
• No wake boarding or wake surfing on small lakes (300 acres or less), which generally have a 10-mph speed limit, unless a special ruling has been granted from the Natural Resources Commission. In addition, if a small lake has speed exemptions already in place (for example, skiing only between the hours of 1-4 pm), then wake boating activities must align to the same hours.

What would the bill mean for our watershed?

If House Bill 1062 were to pass as written, here’s how it would affect lakes in our lakes community:

• We would NOT see major changes on the larger high-speed boating lakes in our area, including Lakes Tippecanoe, Little Tippy, Webster, Wawasee, Syracuse, Winona, Big Chapman, Dewart, and Big Barbee – except for the prohibition of surfing at night
• Wake sports would NOT be permitted on the smaller lakes that have 10 mph speed limits, including Pike, Center, Ridinger, Waubee, most of the Barbee Chain of Lakes in Kosciusko County, as well as Old, New, Goose, and Crooked Lakes in Whitley and Noble Counties.
• Two lakes in our watershed have special speed exemptions. Big Lake and Loon Lake in Noble and Whitley Counties are small lakes that have a 10 mph speed limit most of the time, but they allow skiing and other high-speed boating activities from 1-4 pm each day. If this bill were to pass, wake sports activities would be permitted on these lakes only during these same times.

Overall, we believe these proposed changes will have a positive effect on the lakes in our watershed and beyond! They’ll reduce the ecological impact of wake boating activities, especially in smaller lakes, and will help make our waters safer for all to enjoy.

What can you do to help?

HB 1062 has been scheduled for a committee hearing at the Indiana Statehouse at 8:30am on Wednesday, January 14.

If you want to share your story and your comments, please contact the members of the House Natural Resources Committee. The easiest way is to send them an email, and you can simply copy and paste this list! 

H1@iga.in.gov, H8@iga.in.gov, H9@iga.in.gov, H13@iga.in.gov, H18@iga.in.gov, H21@iga.in.gov, H30@iga.in.gov, H41@iga.in.gov, H42@iga.in.gov, H62@iga.in.gov, H63@iga.in.gov, H64@iga.in.gov, H77@iga.in.gov 

This is urgent! Please send your message ASAP. The bill is scheduled for a hearing at 8:30am on Wednesday, January 14.

The most effective way to share your story is to join TWF’s Executive Director, Lyn Crighton, and attend the hearing at the Statehouse in Indianapolis! If you would be willing to talk for just a few minutes about why this issue is important for your family and your lake, please sign up here. TWF will reach out to confirm the date, time, and location – as these often change with less than 24 hours’ notice.

If we can work together to share our concerns with our state legislators, we’re optimistic this proposed legislation can help. TWF believes this bill offers a measured and reasonable approach to the safety concerns and ecological damage being done by some wake boats and wake surfing on some Indiana lakes.

If you’d like to learn more about this issue, check out these resources and reach out to us with any other questions.

Wake Surfing & Legislation 

A Wake-Up Call

Thanks for taking action not just for your lake, but for healthy lakes in our watershed and throughout the state!