No Wake Zone means no waves: Watch your wake!

No Wake Zones are areas where boats and personal watercraft must operate at a slow headway speed that does not create a wake or swell.

•    A wake is a wave created by the passage of the vessel. The faster you go, the bigger the wake.

Not just a suggestion

•    Boaters can still be held responsible for damage caused by a wake per state law.

•    Violation of No Wake Zones could result in $500 and a Class C ticket.

Identifying a No Wake Zone

No Wake Zone buoys are tall, slender and white with black capital letters that read:

Slow No Wake

The word “No” is within an orange circle. Orange lines box in the words.

•    Includes areas within 100 feet of the shoreline or any boathouse, dock or other lakeshore facilities, including an occupied watercraft or area where people are swimming or diving.

A few boating tips

•    Slow down in advance of a No Wake Zone. Chopping the throttles while arriving doesn’t alleviate the wake’s effect.

•    When in a no-wake speed, remember neutral trim allows your boat to proceed with the smallest wake.

•    There is no set speed limit. Watercraft of different sizes and design create different wakes at different speeds.

•    If the bow of your boat is elevated above the water, then you are going too fast.

A right to report

Recreationists and lakeside landowners have the right to report a watercraft operator violating a No Wake Zone.  To do so, record the location, time, and write down the boat license.  Take photos if possible. 

If the incident is during normal office hours, call the lake office (see below).  If after hours or on weekends, contact the local sheriff’s office non-emergency number (see below), and they will notify BRA lake rangers. If the situation warrants an emergency, call 9-1-1.

The most important action you can take in a No Wake Zone is to note the buoys and respond accordingly.  The zone is there for a reason. 

Enjoy the reservoir, just remember to Watch Your Wake.

Lake Office Contact:
Possum Kingdom Lake               940-779-2321
Lake Granbury                            817-573-3212
Lake Limestone                           903-529-2141

County Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency Contact:
Possum Kingdom Lake Area Sheriff’s Office        940-659-2085
Lake Granbury Area Sheriff’s Office                     817-579-3316
Lake Limestone Area Sheriff’s Office -                 254-729-3278