SB00313 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING WAKESURFING ON CERTAIN LAKES IN THE STATE.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Environment Committee
Last action: 2026-02-27
Official status: Public Hearing 03/04
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official text does not specify an effective date beyond 'from passage', so future enforcement timing depends on the governor's action or immediate effect upon final enrollment.

Rules for Wakesurfing on State Lakes

This law allows wakesurfing and wakeboarding with special boats on state lakes if the boat stays at least 200 feet from shore.

What This Bill Does

Requires anyone using a wake boat for wakesurfing or wakeboarding to operate no less than 200 feet from the lake shore.
Allows local towns to set rules that require boats to stay even farther from the shore if they choose.
Keeps existing bans on wake boats in place for lakes bordering Warren, Washington, and Kent.

Who It Names or Affects

People who operate wake boats
Local towns that manage lake rules

Terms To Know

Wake boat: Any vessel using ballast tanks, wake shapers, hydrofoils, or similar devices designed to artificially increase the size of its wave.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not allow wakesurfing with wake boats in lakes bordering Warren, Washington, and Kent if those areas already ban them.
Local towns can require a distance greater than 200 feet from shore.

Bill History

2026-02-27 Connecticut General Assembly
Public Hearing 03/04
2026-02-26 Connecticut General Assembly
Referred to Joint Committee on Environment

Official Summary Text

To authorize wakesurfing on most lakes in the state provided it occurs a certain distance from shore.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

LCO No. 1414 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 313
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 1414

Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT

Introduced by:
(ENV)

AN ACT CONCERNING WAKESURFING ON CERTAIN LAKES IN THE
STATE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) ( Effective from passage ) No person shall operate a 1
wake boat upon the waters of any lake in the state for the purpose of 2
conducting, or enabling any other person to conduct, wakeboarding or 3
wakesurfing unless such operation occurs not less than two hundred 4
feet from the shore of any such lake. Nothing in this section shall be 5
construed to: (1) Prohibit any municipality from requiring that any such 6
operation occur at a distance greater than two hundred feet from shore, 7
or (2) negate or preempt any prohibition on the use of wake boats on 8
any lake that borders the towns of Warren, Washington and Kent. For 9
the purposes of this section, "wake boat" means any vessel that uses 10
ballast tanks, wake shapers, hydrofoils or similar devices that are 11
designed to artificially increase or enhance the wake of such vessel. 12
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section

Raised Bill No. 313

LCO No. 1414 2 of 2

Statement of Purpose:
To authorize wakesurfing on most lakes in the state provided it occurs
a certain distance from shore.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]