Is Pennsylvania the only mixed up state that limits the Hp on their lakes? It use to be 9.9hp limits, it was raised about 5 years ago to 20hp. Only 1 company at the time made 20hp motors (honda). Why would the state not raise the limit to 25hp since most small boats already had 25's?

Is Pennsylvania the only mixed up state that limits the Hp on their lakes? It use to be 9.9hp limits, it was raised about 5 years ago to 20hp. Only 1 company at the time made 20hp motors (honda). Why would the state not raise the limit to 25hp since most small boats already had 25's?

Nope. NJ has a lot more HP restricted lakes.

Judging by all the PA plates in the ramp parking lots up here, I guess it's gotta be choice #4, LOL.

Va. has some HP restricted waters also.

I would guess your example is due to those that continually break the law by using larger HP motors and changing the stickers on them to the lawful size. A couple of years ago the president of one of the bass clubs in your state was bragging on this site how he did just that with motors that were about twice the HP as the regulation size.

The marine police in Va. are aware of that and actually check the motor data plate of suspected violators.

Not all PA limited lakes were raised to 20 hp either. I can think of 3 on my end of the state that remain 9.9. 1 county park, 1 Army Corps lake and 1 power plant cooling water supply.

I would have preferred to see it go to 25, but I sold my 25 and bought a 20 to comply. I'm still hosed on the 9.9 lakes though.

It all depends on the type of lake, by that I mean who owns it. It could be a Fish Commision lake, Army Corp, or state park lake. I feel they should allow any motor on most lakes and have a speed limit if above a certain horsepower. The best example is Pymatuning along the PA-OH border in NW PA. I believe it is around 14,000 acres and can whip into quite a dangerous lake yet is only 20 hp. It was a 9.9 lake until just a few years ago. So many people changed their 9.9 outboards to 15 hp, that the name of Pymy 9.9 developed, just my $0.02.

Mike

Thanks for all the replies, it seems we are all in the same boat... I hate to give up power to comply with the law, they make you want to cheat. Im sure not one of the law makers have been stuck on Pyma in a 20hp trying to get back in the wind.

5pts for a great pun.

Mike

I had no idea Pennsylvania had horsepower limits so unrealistic! I live in Arizona and have an 80 hp motor on my 16 foot boat. I consider that a good balance between power and economy. And it is a relatively slow boat on our lakes where most bass boats have 200 hp and there are people out on the water in high performance boats with twin 500 hp motors doing over 100 mph!

Anyway, I would not want to be out on any decent sized lake with less than 80 hp for safety's sake. Just too dangerous when wind and waves pick up. I used to live in Pennsylvania, glad I live here now. And I can fish year round!

We do have some small lakes with 10hp restrictions or electric motors only, but they are small lakes that you can easily walk all the way around. All the large lakes allow unlimited power.

Does this hp restriction apply to ALL Pennsylvania lakes, or only select lakes? What about the rivers. I remember seeing skiers and fast boats on all the rivers in Pittsburgh.

To my knowledge the rivers have no hp restrictions, although there are "no-wake" zones.

Mike

I don't think raising it to 50 would be practical. I would however love to see it raised to 25 so you didn't have to buy a 2500$ motor.

I'd like to see speed limit restrictions instead of HP.

I'd like to see speed limit restrictions instead of HP.

how would you enforce this? how many boats have speedometers? of the ones that do. how accurate are they?

They enforce it with radar speed traps. Many lakes up here have speed limits. Most boats that go over 30 have a speedo, and GPS makes it easy to determine true speed.

With the increase in kayakers in every lake I see in PA, I just don't believe it'll ever be raised

They enforce it with radar speed traps. Many lakes up here have speed limits. Most boats that go over 30 have a speedo, and GPS makes it easy to determine true speed.

I disagree.