Lake front home owners vrs fishermen

[RJD]

A few weeks ago when our website(as well as others) was full of fishermen vrs lakefront home owners clashing over rights and useage I wrote into [mailto:iwonder@king5.com]. Perhaps my question was vague or perhaps I was speaking to a non fisherman either way they responded to most of my original question. Here's the link: http://www.king5.com/news/i-wonder/I-Wo ... ight-to-fi... I wonder now how many folks, that are not part of this website, will see it. Time will tell I guess.

[racfish]

Im sorry the page you are looking for is not open. I looked but it wouldnt open up.As a former wtfrnt homeowner I have had mixed results. Most fisherpeople are polite and treat your dock nicely. Some guys are just drunken idiots. They stand infront of your home and urinate off the boat facing the homes. Thats totally rude and thats where I think Pellet gun.Then you get the idiots who run out of gas.They try to transfer gas from a can into the motor. Half goes in the tank and the other half goes in the water.Thats when the think that using your dock would be better.So now your dock has gas on it.During sockeye season just once I left my downriggers inside the boat covered and the next day theyre gone.The best thing out of it is getting to keep all these 5-10 buck bass lures that idiots get stuck on your dock.I even one year had some idiots come clean their fish on my dock.Again thats rude.For the most part fisherpeople are pretty decent.There are always just a few that ruin it for the rest.At my friends house we set up a wire trap just submeged enuff the catch lures and if were lucky a propeller or some downrigger balls.Hehehe

[RJD]

Sorry about the link not working. I too grew up on a lake and have seen many of the situations you have mentioned. But think of the thousands of respectful anglers out there respecting people properties and teaching their children to do the same. Here's a copy of the article. It's somewhere on the King 5 website: by TRAVIS PITTMAN / KING 5 News

KING5.com

Posted on July 22, 2010 at 9:55 AM

Updated today at 10:20 AM

Related:
More answers to your 'I Wonder questions'

"Who owns the lake that I fish in? As fishermen fish in front of houses on the lake more and more, the homeowners and the fishermen are clashing on who has the right to fish or control the water in front of a lake front home and or dock."

Randall


If you live along a public lake or other public body of water, it isn't so much about who has the right. It's more about how the fishermen get to the water.

Mike Cenci, Deputy Chief of the Washington State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Program says it's illegal to fish from someone's private property or to even access the water via that property.

"If an individual owns the lakefront property, you're trespassing. If they own some tidelands then, there again, you're potentially on private property," said Cenci. "If you're in a boat and you access it from a public location, not private property, you're good to go."

However, Cenci says the property owner has some burden to prove they own it and there needs to be some marking that it's private property. He says don't assume everyone knows where your property line even if your home is standing right there.

Situations can vary based on which bodies of water you're talking about. If you have a question about your specific location, You can contact the Fish and Wildlife enforcement program at (360) 902-2936 or enforcement-web@dfw.wa.gov.

You can also get information, and report poachers, at the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife website enforcement page at http://wdfw.wa.gov/enforcement/.

[BentRod]

While out fishing on a public lake this morning, I saw something that got me thinking:

A homeowner has a floating dock anchored about 50 yards off the end of his dock. The floating dock has a large "Private Property, No Trespassing" sign on it. Although I don't dispute that the floating dock is the owner's property, technically he does not own the water or the land that the dock is currently occupying, just the structure. Does this mean that I can float a dock out on that lake, anchor it, and put a no trespassing sign on it? What legal rights does a property owner have to anchor "private property" offshore on property that is not the landowners. I also apply this thought to those large floating trampolines that are so popular.

????:scratch:

[The Quadfather]

Interesting message.. always good to see these things defined, and hopefully both sides of the debate can get some exposure to post.

[Anonymous]

maybe this'll work

link

second sentence below the 3 pictures in center of page;

http://www.king5.com/

[BentRod]

Amx, your "link" worked. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I agree in part with Bent Rod. For the most part fisherpeople are corteous,polite,and respectful.Unfortunatly there are a few that arent.Enough about that. I too complain about local wtfrt home owners that think they own the Lake.Owning tidelands is a whole different story.Its like my neighborhood during Seafair . I have neighbors that set up cones and signs saying no parking. It is a public street.People ask me permission to park in front of my house. My answer is "Its public street. Go for it."I do politely ask them not to set their alarms cuz the Blue Angels set off car alarms.But then after that Sunday the trash left behind is staggering.Like parking like fishing. Its public area .I say from the edge of my dock to my shoreline is mine but anything past that is fair game.When I'm in the lake I too fish for bass and perch infront of wtfrt homes.I just dont use their docks for anything.One day when I'm more affluent I will own a wtft home with a dock and get to be a wealthy snooty guy.

[FishTank]

I'm finding it a bit daunting fishing lakes with substantial waterfront homes along the shorelines. I'm not gonna go out and name names or call anyone out, but I will say that the people living on lakes sometimes like to give fishermen a rough day on the water... just to let them know they're not very well appreciated. Even had people run down to their boat, start it up, and idle right out and across the water they saw me fishing along the shoreline. They didn't smile, wave, or anything. Just drove [out of their way] to go across where I was fishing even though they had a clear path out from their dock to go into the channel.

I wouldn't care at all if it was just one or even a few recreational boaters who live on the lake, but it's more of a pattern of the people living there. Seems like there'd be more courtesy shown that what I'm perceiving.

Anyone else getting the feeling they are being buzzed by waterfront owners and recreational boaters???

[urbanangler]

Does "I say from the edge of my dock to my shoreline is mine but anything past that is fair game" mean you claim to own some of the water around your dock?

[Anonymous]

That is what they claim, but it's a false claim. We can fish any water up to the normal high water mark.

http://api.ning.com/files/rH90vUMWjrCLX ... attch6.pdf

link

[urbanangler]

And there is the issue! We have one WL.COM member believing they own some water near their dock, and another claiming otherwise. From previous WL.COM discussions, it seems pretty understood that, at least for your average lake, the home owners on the lake have no ownership or special rights beyond their shore, except for their dock itself. Right?

[Amx]

Right. The acual structure of the dock, and only the structure. We can fish around it, and under it, and even thru it.

The home/dock owner doesn't own the lake bottom under the dock.

They don't even own the christmas trees and such they might throw in the water. All is fair game for fishermen, and fish.

[racfish]

Its not the legality that I complain about. The Lakes belong to all unless its a private lake. Its a coutesy and a politeness thing more then a legal question in my eyes. If youre just fishing being mellow ,enjoying yourselfs catching thats great.Unfortunately there is a very small percentage of fisherpeople that are really rude.Like I said earlier. While my children are eating breakfast I dont want them to see some guy whip it out and p. I dont care how much coffee you drink.Or the fisherpeople that every other word is the f word. Thats intolerable ,I dont care if your boat is sinking. Have some dignity and respect. Respect will get respect back.