Nate Schmitz didn鈥檛 realize how seriously residents took wake restrictions on Fish Lake until one morning while out water skiing he was chased down and scolded by a neighbor.
The Maple Grove resident had unknowingly waded into a longstanding debate about when boaters can wakeboard, water ski or wakesurf 鈥 an issue rippling across Minnesota and the country.
City officials are reconsidering lake regulations, including morning wake limits on Fish Lake. And they鈥檙e getting waves of conflicting feedback.
鈥淲hy should the entire public be stripped of their right to use the lake as they see fit because a homeowner wants to stare at a pond while drinking their morning coffee?鈥 Schmitz asked.
Many water sport fans are pushing the city to ease regulations prohibiting wake activity from sunset to 9 a.m., and when Fish Lake鈥檚 water level reaches 892 feet above sea level. They argue the limits cater to lakeshore owners and unfairly ban the sports during peak morning hours when the water is calmest.
But several homeowners are fighting for the rules to remain in place. They say increased wake boating has caused erosion on the shoreline and worry about harm to the water quality 鈥 after the community spent years working to reduce phosphorus pollution to remove Fish Lake from the state鈥檚 impaired waters list in 2024.
鈥淭here already is a problem,鈥 homeowner Doug Schon said of the erosion. 鈥淚f they open this thing up and don鈥檛 use that high water marker anymore, wow, the destruction will be crazy.鈥
Wakesurfing, where boats create big enough waves for surfers to ride without needing a rope, has exploded in popularity. But it鈥檚 also sparked debates over safety, noise and environmental concerns.