Lake Country Water Sports Coalition
Community Information Page
The Town may act by June 3rd. Tell them to pause before taxpayers get pulled in.
Town of Merton, Wisconsin

Don’t Drag Taxpayers Into a Lake Fight.

Most Town of Merton residents are not part of this dispute. But if the Town passes an ordinance now, everyone could be pulled into it through Town Board time, attorney involvement, police enforcement, legal risk, and future insurance costs.

Tell the Town Board to Pause
Pause the ordinance. Let residents keep working toward compromise.

This Can Affect You Even If You Never Use the Lake

This ordinance may be about lake use, but the consequences could reach every taxpayer in the Town of Merton.

Board TimeTown officials should not be pulled into a dispute residents can still resolve.
Town AttorneyLegal review and advice take time, attention, and resources.
Police BurdenA new ordinance means someone has to enforce it.
Taxpayer ExposureLegal fights and insurance impacts can become town-wide concerns.
Let other towns be the test case. Other Wisconsin towns are already fighting wake-ordinance lawsuits in court. Merton does not need to volunteer to be next. The smarter path is to pause the ordinance, let residents keep working toward compromise, and revisit regulation only if that effort fails.
Sign the Petition

Learn More About This Issue

Background information for residents who want the full picture, presented as clearly and directly as possible.

Wake enhancement, often called wake surfing, is a towed water sport where a rider follows the wave created by a specially equipped boat at low speed. The rider can eventually surf the wave without holding the rope.

The proposed ordinance would single out wake enhancement for a ban on Lake Keesus and Moose Lake, even though voluntary operating guidelines are already in place.

Context: For additional background on wake sports, equipment, operating practices, and statewide advocacy, visit the Wisconsin Water Sports Coalition.
Wake surfer behind a boat

In 2024, families who enjoy wake surfing created voluntary guidelines. They agreed to stay at least 200 feet from shore, aim for 300 feet where possible, and operate only in water at least 20 feet deep.

Those self-imposed rules were a first step, and the Coalition has committed to further compromise. A Town ordinance could end that conversation before it has a chance to work.

Shoreline impact is one of the most frequently cited environmental concerns. Multiple studies and opinions exist, and residents deserve to see the issue presented in context.

Rather than ask you to accept one interpretation, we encourage you to watch side-by-side comparisons from lake communities and draw your own conclusions.

Related public information: Wisconsin DNR guidance explains how local waterway ordinances and markers are handled. See Wisconsin DNR boating ordinances and waterway markers.
Video: Wake surfing vs. tubing comparison.
Video: Second independent comparison.
Local examples

One argument for a ban is that the fish population is in danger. Local experience deserves to be part of that discussion.

Wake surfing has occurred on Lake Keesus for more than 10 years. If the activity were causing immediate, severe harm to the fishery, residents should be asking for clear evidence.

A local fisherman shared these examples from Lake Keesus as community context for that claim.

Field note: These examples are not presented as a scientific fishery study. They are local observations that help residents evaluate whether the public claims match what people are seeing on the lake.
A healthy catch from Lake Keesus
A healthy catch from Lake Keesus, 2026.
Local fishing video from Lake Keesus.
Additional example shared by a local fisherman.

One of the most emotionally charged arguments in this debate is that surf boats ride with a slightly raised bow, making them unable to see forward and dangerous to others on the water.

That sounds alarming, which is why it gets repeated so often. But the available safety record does not support treating wake surfing as the major risk on Wisconsin lakes.

All boating activities carry some level of risk, just like driving, swimming, skiing, or tubing. If safety is truly the concern, the incident data does not support making wake surfing the primary target.

Data note: These figures are based on individual Wisconsin DNR incident reports from 2021–2024 that were obtained directly from the DNR and reviewed by the Coalition.

We are asking the Town Board not to pass an amended ordinance now. An ordinance is a hard stop, and reversing one later is difficult.

That does not mean ignoring the concerns. Busy lake days can be chaotic, and wake surfing can add to that pressure. We believe there is a legitimate conversation to have about how different lake uses can coexist.

The right next step is to pause, return this issue to the lake community, and let residents keep working toward a realistic middle ground.

Our commitment, if the Town pauses: The Coalition has already started focus groups and will use that feedback to update the voluntary guidelines. That process only matters if the Town does not amend the ordinance first. We want to listen to neighbors, address concerns in good faith, and find a solution that lets people enjoy the lake responsibly.
Compromise options already exist: Survey feedback from lake users included ideas such as giving the voluntary guidelines another year, adjusting surfing hours to exclude Friday evenings, and trying the 200-foot rule before revisiting the issue in 3–5 years. Those suggestions show that residents believe there are options short of an immediate ban.
Shared water, shared responsibility

This Is a Lake Use Issue

Wake surfing is one of many ways people enjoy these lakes. The people asking for compromise are not outsiders or bad neighbors. We are parents, grandparents, anglers, paddlers, swimmers, pontooners, and families who care deeply about the lake and the people around us.

We also recognize the concern. On busy days, every activity adds to the pressure on the water. That is exactly why the answer should be practical compromise, not taking one family activity away before the community has finished working through solutions.

This is personal for many families. For some kids, wake surfing is not just another hobby. It is the thing they look forward to all week. Taking that away without first trying reasonable limits is not fair to the families who have been willing to work toward a middle ground.
Kids swimming together on Lake Keesus
Kids swimming and cooling off together.
Family fishing from a small boat
Fishing from a small boat.
Group kayaking on the lake
Kayaking near shore.
Wake surfer on open water with no nearby boats
Surfing on open water.
Pontoon boats gathered on the lake
Pontoon gatherings are part of lake life too.
Two kids fishing from a boat
Kids learning to fish.
Families floating and swimming on the lake
Floating, swimming, and sharing the water.

The Town May Act by June 3rd.

Once an ordinance passes, the chance for practical compromise may be gone. Tell the Town Board to direct this issue back to the lake residents where it belongs.

Sign the Petition