Lake Orion Speed Limit

[dartag]

So I am buzzing across Orion today eating my PB&J and I see the sheriff boat out in the middle.  As I pass by i see he has a radar gun pointed at me.  I look at my GPS and am going 32 mph.  I wave, he waves back.  Later on I pass him and he has it pointed at me again.  meanwhile jet skiis are going light speed all over the lake.   Someone at the weigh-in said the speed limit is 45 on Orion.  If you go on the weekends watch your speed.

Next time I go i am going to take my Fuzz Buster and CB radio.

[fiker]

Breaker one nine.  There's a Bear taking pictures in the middle of the lake.

Come on back.

[Manxfishing]

My thoughts would be
Someone on the lake must have complained about Bass boats speeding during tournaments.

Most of the time
There checking for life jackets

[djkimmel]

Inland speed limit on ALL waters in Michigan is 55 mph unless posted lower or otherwise.

Speed limit is also 55 mph within 1 mile of shore on the Great Lakes. There is no speed limit more than 1 mile offshore on the Great Lakes.

On congested inland lakes, especially with so many narrows like Orion, there is no reason for any boat to be running at real high speeds. Good for you for keeping your speed reasonable dartag.

[Flippin222]

The speed limit IS 45 on Orion and yes I know this from expierence. A couple of years ago, when I got pulled over, he said the home owners complain about the bass boats running around at a high rate of speed - of course this was as the pontoon with the 225 on it blew past us with a 20 foot tall rooster tail and only the last 6 inches of the "toons" in the water.... 

He will also sit at the launch well inside the no wake bouy just waiting for someone to come in hot and either slide past the no wake bouy or checking your speed. Keep that in mind if you are trying to squeeze out those last few minutes of fishing time.

[Skulley]

I am actually surprised that there is even a sheriff on the lake although maybe the lake association on Orion is paying.  This year it was said that most lakes that usually have sheriff patrols won't because of funding.  I noticed on Long Lake in Oakland County that the sheriff that used to patrol there is not patrolling any longer due to funding.  From what I read about the patrols on Oakland County lakes, they won't be there unless there is funding from the lake associations.  There is a lot of money on that lake so I guess I shouldn't be as surprised as I am.

BD                     

[djkimmel]

From what little I have seen of Lake Orion, there just seems to be more issues on that lake. I hope all bass boaters keep that in mind when they are enjoying the good fishing out there.

[Skulley]

It's turning into another Cass Lake.  The residents have made bass boaters the issue for years.  They walk through life with blinders on not realizing that jet skiers are way more unsafe than bass boaters.  Most accidents on the water have jet skiers involved.  There were three bad accidents out on St. Clair last year that involved jet skiers.  A friend of mine was in one of them.  It involved a jet skier in the North Channel.  The jet skier stopped to help but then left the scene.  My friend is lucky to be alive. 

We can all agree that accidents can happen any where and for us to exercise good common sense when we're out fishing on any lake.  Good common sense goes along way.  But also keep in mind that common sense sometimes isn't so common.


BD                     

[Manxfishing]

Yea,

Jet ski's are a pain in the @ss
But more then a few years ago I had a dirt bike that allot of people hated
So, I know what it's like to be dumb and young

I'd think the best thing we as Bass fishermen can do
Is just be polite. Don't speed, don't leave 1/2 spool of line on there docks
And sooner or later the person or persons who have this thing for the bass fishermen will go after the jet ski's or rec. boaters

[dartag]

The lake associations are paying for the patrol coverage.  There is a boat on Oakland also.  Union has no full time boat only a jump boat for few hours a week. Our lake association is very disorganized.   The warm weekend have been a zoo out there.  

[cameraguy]

I'm pretty sure the speed limit on Lake Orion is 40 mph. And it used to be posted.

[djkimmel]

Should be a sign at the boat ramp stating that.

[dartag]

Found this on the DNR site

(3) On the waters of Lake Orion and the canals and channels connected thereto, sections 2, 3, 10, and 11, T4N, R10E, village of Lake Orion and Orion township, Oakland county, it is unlawful at any time to operate a vessel at a speed in excess of 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour).

here is a link to other Oakland county lakes.   Cass is 50 and no high speed after 9:00.  I fish there tomorrow but will be in the channel before 9:00.



http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10366_37141_37701-38804--,00.html

[Bloomer]

yes the speed limit on Orion is 40 mph, not 45. And the lake association(LOLA) is paying for the OCSD to patrol the lakes on select weekends and holidays.

[djkimmel]

Pretty clear then that as long as bass anglers follow the no wake areas and stay at 40 mph or less they shouldn't have anything to worry about. There are few other things like staying 100 or more feet from shore, floating docks, swimmers, docks and remember on many inland lakes they also enforce running counter-clockwise around the lake too.