Poll- Pay to fish Lakes ? Question.

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S&MFISH

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Location
Cedar Hill,MO(outside of St.Louis)
My question is .......Out of the 176 members who answered the ?, Is there only 30 of us who have ever payed a ramp fee to launch a boat? I may be wrong,but in my opinion,if you pay a ramp fee,you have paid to fish that lake. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
I guess you could look at it that way.
I think of a pay ot fish lake as one that has limited access to it and is a private body not open to the public.
more and more places are starting to charge a ramp fee but that is to launch not to fish
 
In my area almost all boat ramps have some type of fee associated with using them, but you can bank fish for free. There are also several "private" lakes in the area that charge a daily fee, usually around $50 a day, to fish there. To me the second is a pay lake and the first is just the cost associated with boat ownership. I think of launch fees like gas, tackle, etc. It's a necessary expense to do what I love.
 
I think they are 2 different things. One you pay a ramp fee to. This should be used to maintain the ramp, surroundings, parking lot for the lake.

The other one is like Ray scotts lake retreat: https://www.rayscottbassretreat.com/

Which would be a killer weekend fishing trip :beer: but out of my league for sure.
 
Jim said:
I think they are 2 different things. One you pay a ramp fee to. This should be used to maintain the ramp, surroundings, parking lot for the lake.

The other one is like Ray scotts lake retreat: https://www.rayscottbassretreat.com/

Which would be a killer weekend fishing trip :beer: but out of my league for sure.

hmmm...Member Karma??

maybe one day
 
cavman138 said:
Jim said:
I think they are 2 different things. One you pay a ramp fee to. This should be used to maintain the ramp, surroundings, parking lot for the lake.

The other one is like Ray scotts lake retreat: https://www.rayscottbassretreat.com/

Which would be a killer weekend fishing trip :beer: but out of my league for sure.

hmmm...Member Karma??

maybe one day

OMG I wish!


one day man.....one day.
 
Nope. Ramp fees are fees to use the ramp, not to fish the lake. We already pay fees to fish public waters, called a fishing license.

I live near the Illinois River. The nearest ramp is a pay to launch ramp and run by the city. Go up or down river to the next town and its free to launch.

I also fish a county lake that charges $45 a year for a boat sticker. Doesn't matter if your launching a canoe, sailboat, or Bass Boat, still $45 or $16 a day.
 
The ONLY places I've paid a ramp fee is usually at lakes run by the Conservation Dept., or once at a private marina. The marina was a $5 fee....but all the others were $3 I think. That covered the use of the ramp and to fish. I've NEVER seen a lake that charges to launch and then again to fish. Guess they exist though.
 
I must have misunderstood the question. You meant fishing "Pay Lakes".That I don't do anymore.I have fished everyone that was in the St.Louis area at least once,back in the '80s.Most around here are gone now,except one.

Chris,most of the MDC ramps are free,The Corps of Engineers and US Forest Service are the ones that charge fees.
 
I've never seen a pay ramp, at least not yet.

Here in AZ, bodies of water seem to fall into 4-5 different categories:

State - Your AZ boat registration gets you on these legally.

City/County - depending on the specifics of the water, your state reg may get you on, if not, you may need another decal. (i.e. There's a city-run lake-development thing here north of me, crap for fishing, but it's only a 10-min jaunt to get the boat on the 2-3 miles of water. Not too bad for taking newbies and kids out on the boat. I MUST have an AZ reg to get their decal, which is $5/year to residents, a lot more if you're not.

Native American (or whatever's PC now) - to legally put your boat on their water, you must have a "watercraft permit" from the tribe, to the tune of $5-8/day (doesn't include your tribal fishing permit). They don't care if your boat has a state reg or not. My buddy was pretty sure his inflatable raft didn't need to have a permit on the res, but I looked up their "Game & Fish" equivalent, and the law pretty much says that if it's on the water it's watercraft, thus needs a permit or will be confiscated.

Private - Sure, some people own land with their own bodies of water, and we have a lot of man-made lake communities, but without residence, or an invitation, you can't use these waters. We don't have any pay-for-use types of lakes around here that ya'll speak about.

Other - Not sure if it's state or federally controlled, think federally, but as we have the Grand Canyon here in AZ, I know that there exist some oddball boating regulations on the Colorado River. I believe that you have to have a special permit to run the river. Not sure what it costs, or what the craft limitations are, but I wouldn't want to take my tin out on rapids for nuthin' :shock:.

Anyway, thought I'd share.... 8)
 
S&MFISH said:
My question is .......Out of the 176 members who answered the ?, Is there only 30 of us who have ever payed a ramp fee to launch a boat? I may be wrong,but in my opinion,if you pay a ramp fee,you have paid to fish that lake. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I have paid ramp fees but never really thought about it like that. What gets me is on one lake I fish, some ramps are free and other you have to pay $2 or $3 to use it.
 
The only time I ever paid a ramp fee was in VA, and those were drinking water reservoirs, the ramp was run by the parks div. and the funds helped maintain the ramp and the water quality. these were electric power only lakes also, no gas motors allowed. In MI we have some state parks where one must pay a daily ramp/parking fee ($7-8 a day) because it is within the state park, $ goes back to the park for upkeep. Some counties have a park sticker you buy that allows you to use all the state park ramps in that group for the season. $10-20 for the season. All DNR run ramps are free with state reg. and fishing licence.
 
I mostly launch from marinas so I pay $5-$10 every weekend. There are state maintained boat ramps which are free, but you risk life and personal property using them. This is due to the high crime rate in/around New Orleans. The private marina's are usually gated and they watch your property because no one would use them if something happened to your property on their property.

Better have a deep pocket book to use the hoist at the marina's. It is usually around $2 a foot, so mine would run $44 for the bay boat and $28 for the Alweld. Needless to say, I use the ramps.
 
I would say if all the ramps on a body of water required the payment of a fee and that money went to a central entity that controlled and maintained the body of water then it's a pay to fish lake. (Do people have to pay to fish from shore?) If however, you decide to pay a private party to access the lake, then that is a convenience fee in my opinion. The Fox Chain O' Lakes has a user fee that all boaters, regardless if they are fishing or not, are required to buy. There are many ramps that charge a fee but that money goes to the owner of the ramp. There are several state controlled ramps that are free to use.
 
I have paid ramp fees at lake seminole in GA. Some were at businesses on the lake that built ramps and some were at parks/picnic areas owned by the state.
 
Here you typically pay a $5 launch fee whether it is private or parish (county) owned. I buy an annual pass for $75. There are areas where you can launch for free but the launch quality is poor and you might be missing something when you return.
 
Most launches in Wisconsin are pay to launch, which has nothing to do with fishing. People pay to launch their boats, some fish, some just cruise (pleasure boats), water skiers, jet skiers, etc.
Also most popular lakes have seasonal stickers for a one time fee to launch the entire season.
There are also some free launches.

I live in Wisconsin close to the IL border. I can launch in the Fox River ($3.00) in WI. and go down river into the Fox Chain of lakes in IL where an $80.00 sticker is required to boat in those waters.....the sticker is needed as soo as you enter IL water on the river...free in WI., go 5 ft. into IL and the sticker is required....this has what has kept me from doing a day or weekend trip by boat on the Fox Chain of Lakes....

Outdoorsman.
 
I have been a little concerned about what it is costing to fish now days. In Mississippi, the lakes I have fished so far (just moved here), you have to pay a ramp fee, then, a per person fishing fee. Just me is $12. With wife, it is $17. That is for each time I go! You can buy an annual permit for the state lakes but that is $150! Boat registration, trailer tag/fees, man, it adds up! If it gets to be like those hunting preserves, I'm gone... I like to fish as often as I can, but at a minimum of $12, I will be limiting my fishing time. Four times a month - wow - $48! It does concern me. I am near retirement, and I can tell you for sure, this kind of thing will definitely help determine where I retire!
 

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