About the lake

SAFE POWERBOAT OPERATION ON LAKE WILLIAMS

The purpose of these guidelines is to promote the safe operation of all boats, to increase your awareness of navigation hazards and to enhance the boating experiences of all boaters who navigate the waters of Lake Williams.  The guidelines are as follows:

1. Operate less than 6 mph within 100 feet of the shoreline, including the islands.

2. No water-skiing from ½ hour after sunset until sunrise.

3. When water-skiing or tubing, there must be an observer in the boat who is 12 years of age or older.

4. NO motors should be used in weed infested areas (see map) because fragmentation of invasive species can foster their spread and propagation in other areas.  Please raise your motors in these areas and when exiting any highly vegetated area, clean your props, fishing lures, fish nets, bait buckets and oars of all vegetation fragments.

5. When more than one boat is on the lake towing a skier (or tube), all boaters should go counter clockwise around the large open center of the lake.

6. Operate slowly around the islands at the south end of the lake and between Fox Island and the shore.

7. Operators of motorboats are requested to avoid fishing boats, canoes, kayaks, etc.  Remember that you are responsible for your wake.

8. Sailboat operators need to be aware that power lines extend from the shoreline on the northeast portion of the lake to Fox Island.  The power lines are approximately twenty-six feet above the water line, but due to water level fluctuations in the lake and the fact that the power lines sag somewhat near the center of the span, if you have a high mast, either avoid that area or proceed with extreme caution.

9. The map below identifies the location of some of the known hazards such as sandbars and submerged rocks.  It also identifies the location of power lines that may be a hazard to sailboats with tall masts.