# 10 hp limit change?



## winguy7 (Mar 12, 2014)

This year will be the first one with a boat (kayaked for years) and it has a 50 Merc on it. While looking into all the boating laws, I noticed that the 10hp limit was changed to just idle speed for bigger motors. When did this happan? I've never seen anything with over a 9.9 in the water on any of the lakes I fish, like clendening, Piedmont, and Leesville. I know there's been arguments for years about it and haven't seen anything posted. So am I good to go on those lakes? I'm more than happy to just idle, I'm there to fish not race.


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## Harry1959 (Mar 17, 2011)

Don’t know about northern Ohio, down here in SW Ohio one of the 2 10 hp lakes now allows idle or no wake(acton lake), while the other is still a 10 hp limit(cowan). So I guess it’s on a lake to lake basis.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Harry1959 said:


> Don’t know about northern Ohio, down here in SW Ohio one of the 2 10 hp lakes now allows idle or no wake(acton lake), while the other is still a 10 hp limit(cowan). *So I guess it’s on a lake to lake basis.*


Yep...lake by lake basis.
ODNR is trying this out on certain lakes in different parts of Ohio.
According to one ODNR officer I talked to last year...kind of a pilot program to see if people will be responsible enough to follow the new rule and idle only with their big engine.
Go here and hit ' *10hp limited'*. The lakes allowing big engines at idle/no wake speed have an asterisk by them...or...go to *'Unlimited horse power "no wake" speed'* to find the list of lakes you're referring to on these changes:
http://watercraft.ohiodnr.gov/where-to-boat/inland-lakes


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## Lewis (Apr 5, 2004)

None of the MWCD lakes you mentioned in your post allow anything over 10hp.


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## winguy7 (Mar 12, 2014)

Ohh, I see it's the ones with asterisks next to em


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

^^^Correct!^^^

Would love to see them all go that way...but doubt that will ever happen.
Some are big enough that it sure would save on the trolling mtr batteries.


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## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

Cowan will never change as long as there's a sailing club!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Yea...there's a few I hit that I don't believe will ever change either....
Lake Logan or Hoover.
Can get by with the TM at Lake Logan for the most part. 
Hoover on the other hand is so long its impossible to do that there. Without a small gas tiller, just have to try and figure out which end you're going to fish and put in there. If deciding to fish the other end, have to pull out and put in at the other end.


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## Longhorn (Oct 26, 2014)

I always hated that 10 hp restriction. When I moved back to Texas, the first thing I did was take off my 9.9 kicker motor. Seemed like the speed limit worked just fine at Clearfork. Would have liked to seen it at other lakes as well.


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Harry1959 said:


> Don’t know about northern Ohio, down here in SW Ohio one of the 2 10 hp lakes now allows idle or no wake(acton lake), while the other is still a 10 hp limit(*cowan*). So I guess it’s on a lake to lake basis.





cincinnati said:


> Cowan will never change as long as there's a sailing club!


Yeah, they have their own little playground AND get to use outboards over 10hp. But a 10 hp only lake still has it's downfalls for them. An 18' boat with a 10 hp motor (if not a little bigger and just re-decaled) kicks up a helluva wake, for more than an "idle only" boat would make. You can be sure that if I had a motor under 10 hp I'd have it WOT just to piss them prissy sailboaters off during their "races".

BTW, did you notice that all boaters were allowed to use their big motors to load/unload during the gubner's little fishing get together? Must have made the sailboater's heads do a:


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## cincinnati (May 24, 2004)

A heavily laden 16' V, droning along 9.9 @ full throttle, throws a wake like a barge!


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## Harry1959 (Mar 17, 2011)

At Cowan you are always allowed to use bigger motors for loading and unloading


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I'm not so sure many of the "idlers" get the message, or even care! I've seen many(most) of them(bigger boats, bigger engines) on Wingfoot, and right under the noses of Div 3 Watercraft Offices which are right there on the lake!, completely ignore the " idle speed, no wake" regulation. And as for power-loading, large hp motors can comletely blow out the aggregate at the ends of the small lake launch ramps which aren't designed/constructed for it. While registering a boat there, I Inquired about why "no enforcement" on the tiny 500 acre lake and was told they "haven't noticed any problems"!! Are they blind?? They did say to "stop by" the offices and report it next time observed! Problem is, the offices are closed On Weekends! If it goes on there, how can they expect anyone to conform on any of the more "remote" lakes? Seems to be a joke.


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Harry1959 said:


> At Cowan you are always allowed to use bigger motors for loading and unloading


I didn't think so, Harry. I haven't fished it in several years but if you're over the 10 hp limit you're not supposed to have the motor in the water at all. Maybe that's changed. But since it is so shallow, especially after draw down, the ramps get damaged by power loading. I tried to put in at the marina one late fall day but couldn't get my flat bottomed bass boat off the trailer without slamming the hull into the mound of rocks at the end of the ramp. I finally gave up and headed to Caesar.


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## Harry1959 (Mar 17, 2011)

I called local dnr 2-3 years back and they told me you could use bigger motors for trailering. It’s possible I was misinformed. It was a woman, she may have just been the dispatcher, may have been a ranger. I just remember what I was told. 


MuskyFan said:


> I didn't think so, Harry. I haven't fished it in several years but if you're over the 10 hp limit you're not supposed to have the motor in the water at all. Maybe that's changed. But since it is so shallow, especially after draw down, the ramps get damaged by power loading. I tried to put in at the marina one late fall day but couldn't get my flat bottomed bass boat off the trailer without slamming the hull into the mound of rocks at the end of the ramp. I finally gave up and headed to Caesar.


ed e


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## MuskyFan (Sep 21, 2016)

Harry1959 said:


> I called local dnr 2-3 years back and they told me you could use bigger motors for trailering. It’s possible I was misinformed. It was a woman, she may have just been the dispatcher, may have been a ranger. I just remember what I was told.
> 
> ed e


That’s cool. Things change. i haven’t been back due to the a-hole sailboat crowd. They probably like it better that way.


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