Motorboat rules released for Clear Lake

WINNIPEG — Motorboats can return to Clear Lake this summer for five days a week, but they must be inspected, registered and launched by June 7 or be subject to a 45-day quarantine.

Parks Canada released new rules Thursday following a crackdown on motorboats on the Riding Mountain National Park lake where invasive, destructive zebra mussels were discovered in 2023, prompting a ban on personal boats in 2024 and 2025.

“In general, I think boat owners are happy and the majority of non-boaters are pretty happy,” said Kyle Bazylo, who has a cottage at Clear Lake but doesn’t own a boat, and is a director of the Clear Lake Cabin Association. “It’s a compromise for both,” he said Thursday.

“Everyone’s itching to get their boats in up there,” Bazylo said.

“They’ve been waiting two years for this.”

The rules, which were released ahead of the May long weekend, prohibit motorized boats on Clear Lake on Mondays and Tuesdays or overnight from 8:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., with the exception of the Martese tour boat. It was the only motorboat allowed on the lake in 2024, but was also banned in 2025.

The federal government cracked down on motorboats coming and going from Clear Lake in 2023, starting with a “one boat, one lake” policy, followed by a ban on all motorboats in 2024 except for the tour boat, before banning it, too, in 2025.

Last summer’s ban jolted area businesses that depend on them for their livelihood, said Bazylo, a real estate agent. The dark cloud of uncertainty affected cabin sales; just one cottage was listed at this time last year.

When cottagers got word in April that the lake was reopening to motorboats this summer, five cabins were put up for sale, he said.

The decision to allow motorboats and put new management measures in place followed several months of public engagement sessions, consultation with Indigenous groups, environmental monitoring and a review of literature, Parks Canada said at the time in a news release. It said it would continue working with governments, Indigenous groups and non-government organizations about how to best deal with zebra mussels.

On Thursday, it posted the new rules. Until June 7, motorized or trailered watercraft that have not entered the water this year can be inspected and registered for an annual permit and can immediately launch on Clear Lake.

However, after June 8, all motorized and trailered watercraft must complete a 45-day quarantine before they can launch there.

Boats with an intact inspection tag from the 2023 season do not need a new inspection. If a tag is removed or shows signs of tampering, Parks Canada will assume that the boat was launched outside the park. It will need to be inspected, registered and quarantined for 45 days before being permitted on Clear Lake, Parks Canada said.

The new rules include a 150-metre no-wake zone, where motorboats must travel under 10 kilometres per hour within 150 metres of shore.

“These measures help protect park waters and reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species while balancing user experiences,” Parks Canada said.

Bazylo said Clear Lake cottagers and businesses care about the health of the lake and were disappointed initial measures to prevent the spread of zebra mussels weren’t successful.

“They’re in the lake. They’re not going away,” he said.

Many motorboat owners were frustrated by the ban and questioned whether it was effective, he said.

The new rules seem fair to watercraft owners and to those who prefer peace and calm and can enjoy Mondays and Tuesday without motorized watercraft buzzing around, Bazylo said.

“For the most part, the boat owners I know are willing to compromise. They’re happy just to be out after two years of no boats,” Bazylo said. “We’re lucky to have Clear Lake and we look after Clear Lake,” Bazylo said.

Parks Canada said many stakeholders and respondents to one of its surveys said they valued non-motorized experiences on Clear Lake.

“They described peaceful connections to nature, improved safety for paddlers and swimmers, and increased wildlife viewing. The quiet times and weekly non-motorized days provide opportunities for these experiences.”

» Winnipeg Free Press