4.4 Damaging/Hazardous Wakes

As the speed of a boat is increased, the bow rises, causing the stern to plow through the water. Maintaining this state without transitioning to plane creates the largest wake and has the most potential for damage. Therefore, plowing for an excessive time is prohibited. Plowing for more than a minute will be considered excessive, although a lesser period may qualify. No boat shall be operated in a manner as to obstruct the vision of the operator or create an unusually high or hazardous wake.

Because of the relatively small size of Lake Petersburg and the wear and tear on shorelines and the danger to others using the lake, any boat designed to produce large wakes by the use of wake enhancing devices is prohibited. This includes devices that add weight to a boat, including but not limited to water or sand-filled bags (ballast), bladders, pods, sofas, launch pads, fat bladders, locker sacks, hydrofoil, Hull technology, etc., and the use of wedges, power fins or homemade devices. Enhancing wake by artificial means is prohibited.

When boat stickers are purchased, members will need to certify their boat is not a wake boat and that they have not added any wake enhancing device to their boat.

Any person, other than someone who purchased their boat prior to July 10, 2018, and registered it as a wake boat with the Lake office by July 25, 2018, who places a wake boat in the reservoir or falsely certifies their boat is not a wake boat may be required to remove said boat from the reservoir after notice and a hearing. Any person who operates a boat in the reservoir in a wake enhanced mode may be required to remove said boat from the reservoir after notice and a hearing.

All owners of a grandfathered wake boat should familiarize themselves with Rule 4.8(B)(14) which provides the Association has the power and authority to prohibit, restrict, or otherwise limit or regulate any boat should it become necessary to do so in the interest of public health or safety or the protection or improvement of the reservoir.

Only wake boats registered with the Lake Office by July 25, 2018 shall be grandfathered in. it is the boat, and not the member, that is grandfathered in. See Rule 4.8 (B) (8) which prohibits the sale or transfer of any wake boat to another member.

4.8 Boat Registration Required

A. All motorized boats operated on Lake Petersburg shall be required to display a current State of Illinois issued watercraft registration in the name of the Regular Member or Associate Member, except that motorized boats being test driven by a Member must follow the procedures outlined in Section 4.8(C)(9).

B. As a condition of registration, liability insurance is required for all motorized boats operated on Lake Petersburg. Such liability insurance must be in the member’s name, clearly show the watercraft insured, and cover property damage and bodily injury in an amount no less than $100,000. Motorized boats being test driven by a Member pursuant to Section 4.8(C)(9) must be covered by liability insurance in an amount no less than $100,000.

C. No boat or craft of any kind may be propelled, kept, or used in the reservoir; or stored or kept on the marginal land, until the owner has registered such boat or craft and secured registration decals with numbers from the Association. Registration for motorized boats must accompany the payment of the annual license fees at the Association Office.

1. Registration Fees. The amount is set by the Board for each boat or craft.
2. Membership Required. No registration decal shall be issued except to a Member of the Association.
3. Number of Boats and Motors. A Member may have up to two (2) gasoline powered boats but only one (1) boat can have a motor over 60 horsepower. There may be any number of boats without a gas motor.
4. Registration Decal Display. Decals shall be displayed adjacent to state registration numbers. If the State does not require registration, then the LPA decal shall be displayed in a clearly visible location. Current year registration decals shall be displayed by May 15th and will expire on May 15th of the following year.
5. Paddleboard Decal Display. Only one lake decal is required to be placed on the tail end of the Standup Paddle Board (SUP) either on the bottom or on the top of the board.
6. Boat Length Regulation:
7. Motor driven boats– 20 feet maximum
8. Hull type deck boats – 22 feet maximum
9. Pontoons – 28 feet maximum
10. Sailboats – 20 feet maximum
11. Canoes, paddleboats and rowboats – no length restriction
12. Members attempting to circumvent this rule will forfeit boating rights for that boat(s) following notice and a hearing.
13. Personal Watercraft. Boats with inboard, outboard, inboard/outboard motors along with, pontoons, sailboats, canoes, paddleboats, paddleboards, rowboats, kayaks or hull type deck boats are allowed on the reservoir (all within regulation length as described in Rule 4.8(B)(6)). The following personal watercraft are prohibited:

• Airboats;
• All Jet propelled watercraft, including but not limited to, jet boats and jet skis;
• Bumper boats; and
• Electric- and/or gas powered board-type watercraft, including but not limited to surfboards and wakeboards. Any other type of watercraft not listed above must be approved by the Lake Board prior to launch in the reservoir.