Counter Clockwise Lake Travel Map ~ Wake Boat Travel Map ~ Lake Rules and Etiquette on the Lake
All boats must travel in a counter-clockwise traffic direction. Wake boats please follow the deep water traffic pattern on the map below.
Wake Boats - Deep Water Map for ballast filled boats in tow - est. July 2020
The map is a guide and a suggested route. Use your judgment, stay in deep water, be safe and respectful to other boaters. If it is too crowded, make the circle wider or try another time. While we realize the suggested route isn’t perfect, it’s a start.
Effects of wake surf boats on the lakes here - fast forward 20 minutes.
LAKE RULES & ETIQUETTE
You are responsible for following the Michigan Boating Laws as they exist at links below:
- Handbook of MI Boating Laws - HERE
- Handbook of MI Boating Laws and Responsibilities - HERE
- Marine Safety Act Rules - HERE
- MI Laws at the Launch Site - Invasive Species - HERE
- US Coast Guard Recreational Boating - HERE
- Life Jacket Rules - HERE
- Boating Safety Courses - HERE
Counter Clockwise Direction - All watercraft must move counter-clockwise around the lake. The one exception to this rule is for wake/ballast filled boats towing surfers - these boats must follow the Deep Water Map above, to protect our lake bottom, sea walls and other surrounding properties.
Legal Operational Hours on the Lake for Motorized Vehicles
1 hour after sunset and 1 hour before sunrise - No towing allowed of any person from any vessel
Boats may operate one hour before sunrise & one hour after sunset
Boats may operate after sunset with use of state mandated navigation lighting
PWC may operate between 8:00 am and sunset
Basic Safety Rules
Always remain 100 feet from the shore, boats, anchored boats, docks, rafts, and other structures
No wake allowed within 200 feet of any dock, boat, raft, shoreline, buoy or occupied swim area.
PWC - see rules #11 and #12 below.
All PWC operators must have a DNR Watercraft Safety Lanyard in place
Do not cross within 200 feet behind another watercraft
Never have more people in your boat or PWC than allowed by the manufacturer
Reckless Operation
Do not disregard the safety of others
No weaving through congested traffic, jumping another boat’s wake
Do not drive with people standing or sitting on unsafe areas
Do not operate a watercraft under the influence of drugs or alcohol (.08% in MI is considered DUI)
Do not harass, disturb or feed wildlife
Do not play use excessive noise. Decibel levels are monitored.
Life Jackets /Personal Flotation Devices/ Paddle Boards - The Sheriff requires compliance with the below rules:
Paddle boarders must have a life jacket on their person or attached to the board
All children under 6 years of age must wear a USCG–approved PFD
Each person riding on a PWC must wear a USCG–approved PFD
Each person being towed behind a PWC or other watercraft must wear a USCG–approved PFD
All vessels must be equipped with a PFD in good condition for each person on board or being towed
Towing (Water Skis, Wake Boards, Tubes, Wake Surf Boards)
No towing a person allowed from any vessel 1 hour after sunset until 1 hour before sunrise
A competent spotter is required when towing a person, including boats and 3 person PWCs (only 1 person on a tube)
Watercraft with persons in tow must stay 100 feet away from any dock, boat, raft, or occupied swim area
Boats in tow must have a 170 degree wide angle rear view mirror mounted on the windshield
2 Person PWC may NOT tow a tube, as they need space to seat the person in tow on the PWC
Wake Rules
You are responsible for your boat’s wake and the damage it may cause
Remain 200 feet from the shore, boats, anchored boats, docks, rafts, and other structures
Wake boats, use only the large, deep portion portion of the lake shown in the Deep Water Wake Boat map above. See effects of wake boats on the lake bottom Here. (fast forward to about 20 minutes)
No Dumping of trash, food, plastics, cans, bottles or fish bait in Pine Lake.
Playing loud music of any kind is not allowed on the lake. Be courteous to your neighbors.
Launch Site - To control aquatic invasive species (AIS) from entering Pine Lake, follow these rules. Laws effective March 2019, require all of the following prior to transporting any watercraft over land:
Remove all drain plugs from bilges, ballast tanks, and live wells.
Drain all water from any live wells and bilges.
Ensure that the watercraft, trailer, and any conveyance used to transport the watercraft or trailer are free of aquatic organisms, including plants.
Never dump unused fish bait in the lake.
In general - after trailering boats, and before getting on the road, boaters must pull plugs, drain water and remove plants and debris to prevent organisms from that lake going into another lake.
Certification - State Boating Safety Certificates are required:
Boats: Anyone born after 07/01/1996
PWC: Anyone born after 12/31/78
Contact information for Michigan Boating Education Requirements and safety classes are below
PWC Age Restrictions:
Must be 16 years or older to operate a PWC alone (safety certificate required - see above)
Those 14 and 15 with a safety certificate may operate a PWC with a parent or 21 year old adult
Anyone under the age of 14 may not operate a PWC and should sit behind the driver for safety
You are ultimately responsible for knowing the rules as they exist under the Marine Safety Act.
Pine Lake Property Owners Association disclaims any responsibility related to your interpretation of the regulations. You are responsible for knowing all State and Local government water safety laws.
Follow the West Bloomfield Township “Manufactured Fertilizer Ordinance” Sec. 14.5.
Absolutely no lawn fertilizer within 50' of the lake, canal and shoreline
Beyond 50' of the shoreline, limit fertilizer applications to only 2 per season (not 6)
NO fertilizer applications between May 1 and October 1
Inform your lawn contractors about these limitations, limit how often they treat your lawn
Links to West Bloomfield Township Fertilizer Ordinances:
Fertilizer Ordinance - Overview
Intent and Purpose
Application Schedule
Protecting the Water Source
Wetlands and Lakes
Manufactured Fertilizers
Reporting an Incident - Emergency #’s
The sheriff will be patrolling the lake this summer and he/she may not see an incident that you see. If you witness an incident, (boats traveling too close, traveling the wrong way, etc)
Emergency - Incident in progress - call 911
Non Emergency 248.975.9200 WB Township Police or 248 858 4950 Sheriff provide detailed video and pics and ask for a jump boat/ or to be connected to the Marine Sheriff Unit.
SAFE BOATING CLASSES
You can receive a Safe Boating Certificate from several sources:
1) Oakland County Sheriff offers classes (recommended):
Sheriff Training Room (Pontiac) - Call (248) 858-7831
Novi Suburban Collection - Call 248-858-7831
New classes are added each month. Questions? Call the sheriff’s office.
2) Online: www.Oakgov.com/Sheriff or www.Michigan.gov/dnr
Oakland County Sheriff Patrol
The PLPOA contracts with West Bloomfield Township for sheriff patrol on Pine Lake. The township bills the PLPOA annually. Your PLPOA annual dues are used to pay for sheriff patrol. The sheriff patrol boat is anchored at the Birch Harbor Association dock during the summer months.