The main beach on the southern shores of Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park on Thursday, July 11, 2024. Motorized boats will be allowed back on the lake for the 2026 season. (CHRISD.CA FILE)
Motorized watercraft will return to Clear Lake for the 2026 season, under a new management plan announced Wednesday by Parks Canada.
Boats were temporarily banned from Riding Mountain National Park in 2024 to curb the spread of zebra mussels. Parks Canada made a decision to have boats return to Clear Lake for the 2025 summer season, but later reversed course due to legal threats.
This summer’s plan includes a mandatory tagging program for motorized boats, along with new measures aimed at protecting the lake. These include an expanded no-wake zone, two non-motorized days each week, and designated quiet periods at dawn and dusk reserved for non-motorized use.
Full program details are expected to be released ahead of the May operating season. Parks Canada also plans to introduce a launch fee, with a proposed structure to be developed for public consultation this summer and possible implementation in 2027.
The decision follows months of public engagement, consultations with Indigenous partners, environmental monitoring, and a third-party review.
The advocacy group Fairness for Clear Lake had filed a judicial review challenging last year’s decision to ban watercraft on Clear Lake. Those efforts were recently abandoned as the legal process would have dragged on well beyond the upcoming tourist season to have an impact for 2026.
“We are encouraged to see a path forward for boating on Clear Lake,” said Trevor Boquist, spokesperson for FFCL. “Clear Lake has always been a place where people connect with the water, and that experience is an important part of both community life and the visitor experience.”
Parks Canada says all watercraft and related equipment must still be inspected this season and follow clean, drain, dry protocols. Motorized boats must also be tagged when out of the water, while non-motorized users will be required to choose permits limiting where they can launch within the park.
The province of Manitoba has similar checkpoints in place along highways and at popular lakes to curb the spread of zebra mussels from other bodies of water.
