Are Wakeboats Right for Blue Mountain Lake?
View the Impacts of Wakesurfing for yourself
The growing popularity of wake boats across the Northeast raises an important question: Do they belong on Blue Mountain Lake?
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These powerful boats are designed to create massive waves for wake surfing. On large, deep lakes they may offer recreation and thrills. But on a small, shallow, and sensitive lake like Blue Mountain Lake, they can cause real and lasting harm.
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What Wake Boats Do
Wake boats aren’t simply larger ski or pontoon boats. They are specifically engineered to generate enormous wakes—often several feet high—by filling internal ballast tanks with hundreds of gallons of water. This added weight makes the boat ride lower in the water, displacing more water and creating powerful waves.
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On smaller lakes, those waves come at a cost.
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The turbulence churns up bottom sediments, releasing nutrients that have long been buried. This leads to “browning” of the water, reduced clarity, and increased algae growth—visible signs of stress in what was once a pristine ecosystem. The waves also erode shorelines, disturb fish habitat, and can swamp or destroy loon nests.
Hidden Threats
The risks aren’t only visible.
Ballast tanks can take in water that contains invasive species such as zebra mussels or milfoil. Even after draining, these tanks often retain contaminated water. When boats move between lakes, they can unknowingly transport these species, potentially causing irreversible ecological damage unless thoroughly decontaminated at boat-washing stations.​​​
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Lessons from Vermont — and Recommendations for Adirondack Lakes
Other regions are already taking action.
In 2024, Vermont passed legislation restricting wake sports to areas at least:
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50 acres in size
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500 feet from shore
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20 feet deep
The state is now considering even stricter standards.
Environmental groups across the Adirondacks recommend stronger protections, urging local governments to limit wake sports to zones at least:
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100 acres in size
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1,000 feet from shore
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30 feet deep
Under these guidelines, Blue Mountain Lake simply does not have sufficient space to accommodate wake boating safely or responsibly.
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Protecting What Matters
Beyond environmental impacts, wake boats also threaten the peace and safety that define life on Blue Mountain Lake.
Large wakes and powerful engines create hazards for kayakers, canoeists, paddleboarders, swimmers, and anglers. They disrupt wildlife and diminish the quiet, low-impact recreation that residents and visitors value most.
Simply put, Blue Mountain Lake is too small, too shallow, and too special for wake boats.
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Be Wake Smart
Please help protect the lake we love. Educate your family and friends about the environmental impacts of wake boats and support efforts to keep Blue Mountain Lake safe, clear, and healthy for generations to come.
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Together, we can preserve the character, beauty, and quiet enjoyment that make this place so special.
Help us Keep Aquatic Invasive Plants and Species OUT of our Lakes by following these simple rules BEFORE launching a boat in Blue Mountain, Eagle or Utowana Lakes:
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CLEAN.
After boating, before you leave the launch:
Remove all visible plants, animals, fish, and mud from your boat, trailer, or other equipment and dispose of in a suitable trash container or on dry land. Don’t transport any potential hitchhiker, even back to your home. Remove and leave them at the site you visited.
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DRAIN.
After boating, before you leave the launch:
Drain water from bilge, live wells, ballast tanks, and any other locations with water before leaving the launch. Invasive viruses, zooplankton, and juvenile zebra mussels and Asian clams can be transported in even just a drop of water!
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DRY.
Before you launch to go boating:
Dry your boat, trailer, and all equipment completely. Drying times vary depending on the weather and the type of material. At least five days drying time is recommended.