Residents of Pickerel Lake were seeking wakeboat ban


Google Airbus June, 13, 2023–April 16, 2026; 21162 NE Pickerel Lake Drive
A lengthy discussion was had between Pickerel Lake residents and the Becker County Board of Commissioners regarding wakeboats, safety and how to regulate such activity. Residents left the meeting without the ban they were seeking but were given an option to return and discuss amendments to their petition.

By Robert Williams

Editor

Becker County Commissioners elected to not move forward and hold a public hearing on banning wakeboard usage on Pickerel Lake. Chair Erica Jepson, Commissioners Barry Nelson, Richard Vareberg and David Meyer all spoke against a ban on wakeboats.

Residents of Pickerel Lake submitted a letter of intent seeking an ordinance prohibiting wake enhancement/wake surfing on this lake.

According to the letter, Pickerel lake is narrow, with only a small area that allows a watercraft to operate at more than 500-feet from shore.

Many residents have reported safety issues when confronted with the large waves that are generated by a wake boat. Swimmers have been thrown onto the rocks, people have been knocked off their seats in small boats, waves break over the deck of pontoons causing everything to get wet.

The area wide enough to support wake surfing 500-feet from shore helps preserve the shoreline, but does not allow space for other boaters to escape the waves.

Currently, there are no laws restricting wake surfing to 500-feet from shore or other watercraft. The narrower parts of the lake are dealing with shoreline erosion and even greater safety issues. Fishermen report the cloudiness of the water around the island and shoreline impairing fishing conditions for hours or even into the next day.

The petition argued that the enjoyment of people on one wake boat should not jeopardize the safety of all others.

Pickerel property owners were contacted about the issue. Allegedly, a response was received from 70 percent of lake property owners all of whom signed the petition.

Sandy Stalemo, Chairman of the Pickerel Lake Association, cited the letter and spoke about the safety concerns of wakeboats on Pickerel Lake, given its narrow nature.

“There is no place to escape,” she said.

Stalemo reported on safety complaints she has received and mentioned one of her own involving an incident on her pontoon where waves from a passing wakeboat knocked her off her feet.

“So many people are having to leave the lake because of the enjoyment of one wakeboat out there and people have to get off the lake for their own safety,” Stalemo said. “People are going to start getting seriously hurt; our lake is so narrow that there is no way to escape it. It’s a huge problem for us.”

Stalemo reiterated the point that the enjoyment of one wakeboat should not be paramount to the enjoyment and safety of everybody else who lives here and she continued discussing noticeable erosion and environmental issues also.

“There is no safe place for any of us to enjoy our lake,” she said.

Joe Luigi, a 16-year resident of Pickerel Lake, spoke against the proposed ordinance. He and  his wife built their dream home on the lake eight years ago, but have decided to sell it and move.

“We’re feeling so much pressure and harassment from a few members of our lake association that we put our place up for sale and decided to move to a different lake,” he said.

That statement was met by mild applause from people in the meeting chamber.

Luigi laughed it off before discussing harassment he and his family members, including his children, have received for using their jet boat on the lake. 

“I’m not looking for a pity party here,” he said. “What I’m looking for is to help other people on the lake to not experience this and also other people in lakes all throughout Becker County to not experience this same thing. To do that, we need you guys to not support this issue because it’s just going to create a storm of these types of things happening throughout Becker County.”

He contradicted the report that 70 percent of residents signed a petition stating he had emails from residents who did not sign, including one board member.

Board Member Mark Ledoux reiterated environmental concerns calling the lake a “large aquarium,” as it has no inlet nor outlet.

A handful of other speakers spoke, most in favor of a ban on wakeboats on Pickerel, all citing an adverse experience with wakeboats on Pickerel Lake, specifically.

Chuck Becker, who lives on Big Sugar Bush Lake, also spoke in support of the Pickerel residents seeking a ban.

Written statements were submitted by eight other families detailing issues they have had with wakeboats on the lake.

The four commissioners desire the state to create legislation on this issue. Only Commissioner Phil Hansen spoke against that, stating that the state would likely push the issue to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), who, according to Hansen, is already pushing the decision-making to the county.

Despite that, Hansen was against the ban as stated in the petition.

The board had options to submit the issue to the DNR, hold a public hearing, do nothing, or amend the requested 500-foot setback to 300-feet.

“To ban something would be an overstep of what we know and what we should be doing,” said Nelson.

Nelson stated he would choose to do nothing until the Lake Association amended their request to a 300-foot setback and resubmit it for consideration.

Hansen brought up the question of enforcement and a need to discuss with Sheriff Todd Glander.

County Administrator Carrie Smith, noted that even If the board chooses to move forward and bring the issue to the DNR, it is not a given that the the DNR would agree and that they could deny the request for an ordinance or ban.

The DNR would not accept the Lake Association’s petition/request as it is. It would have to be submitted by the county and be a county ordinance on the lake.