Bouy Marking Program
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources regulations prohibit placement of permanent waterway markers without permits. Furthermore, regulatory markers (such as “Slow-No Wake”), as opposed to navigational markers (such as “Rocks”), are not enforceable without properly adopted municipal ordinances.
NAVIGATIONAL BUOYS: Little St. Germain lake has many navigational hazards just below the lake surface. In the interest of helping boaters protect their equipment, 23 buoys with “Rock” markings have been maintained over the most dangerous hazards since 2002. While no town ordinance is required for these markers, a DNR permit is. The map shows GPS coordinates of the authorized location of these buoys.
REGULATORY BUOYS: The town of St. Germain adopted an ordinance which authorizes placement and enforcement of Slow-No Wake zones in the narrows between West and No Fish bays and between South and No Fish bays. The definition of Slow-No Wake actually has nothing to do with how much wake a boat makes. It is defined as the slowest speed a watercraft can operate at and still maintain steerage control. The map shows the authorized GPS coordinates of these buoys.