I see this sign at a lot of lakes. Can anyone tell me if it is legal for me to launch my 16 foot boat with the outboard motor pulled up and locked while I use the bow mount electric motor to move about the lake. I see this happening but I'm not sure if I should go ahead and try it. With my luck, Johnny Law would nail me. Thanks in advance, Dale.

As far as I know, if there is a sign at the lake then you just can't use your gas motor. Now, if in the fishing regs it says no internal combustion engines for a particular lake you cannot have a gas motor attached to your boat at all.

I have had the same question you had for years and I have not been able to get a clear answer from any one. I wish the local municipalities would mirror what is regulated by WDFW.

There is a lot of confusion about this because the regs can come from both WDFW and the local authorities (usually the sheriff).

If it's a county rule, then you might be able to have your gas engine on the boat, but if it's a state reg, then no, you may not. In Kitsap County, it's my understanding that gas engines are prohibited, period, on lakes so posted by the county.

I didn't find this out the hard way, but after launching my gas-powered outboard on Buck Lake (didn't use it, of course, but I wanted the platform with the bow-mount electric) I did some checking afterward.

Keith

No, it is not okay to just lift your gas motor up off the boat. That can actually cause more damage with oil/gas runoff into the water. If you have a boat with a gas motor tipped up you can get cited. At least down here in southwest Washington.

stace

Yeah, I knew that I probably would be in the wrong if I used an outboard. I sent an email to the state and my answer was a firm no, you can not have a motor mounted to your floating device if the sign reads internal etc prohibited. Thanks anyway folks,