Burt/Mullett: Special Watercraft Regs in the Crooked River

[djkimmel]

There are some variations in the marine regulations in effect for the Crooked River (from Burt Lake to Crooked Lake) that you should be aware of. I'll explain them here for your convenience - my disclaimer being this is your personal choice to use this information and not any kind of guarantee or protection.

I discussed these regs with the Emmet County Sheriff - Marine Division recently:
There are residential stretches of the Crooked River that are marked slow no wake. The Emmet County Sheriff Department, Marine Division actively patrols this river.

The main stretch being the Marathon Way through the houses. Then there are stretches that you can run on plane. Another no wake exists near Hay Lake and ends after Hay Lake (a wide spot/marsh in the Crooked River). Watch the signage carefully.

The Emmet County Sheriff Dept strictly interprets the 100 foot no wake rule as also applying when passing any boat whether that boat is running or going no wake. They require that all boats go slow no wake when passing. They will ticket you if they see you on plane, even in the open sections, passing another boat overtaking or oncoming.

They have had problems with emergency swamping of boats on the Crooked River and err towards safety.

When running into Crooked Lake along the channel, watch your distance from long shoreline docks because there are narrows where you can be ticketed if they feel you are within 100 feet of the dock ends. It is very close and you do not want to run outside the channel much in that area - shallows. So watch other boat traffic and stay over from the dock side if you can. To be safe, slow to no wake if there is boat traffic in the narrows.

New in the past two seasons also, the channel connecting Crooked Lake to Pickerel Lake is ALL slow no wake now including the small pond half way between. This use to be open, but they changed the local regs.