Boating and Recreation

Tips for Boating on Lake Whatcom

Lake Whatcom is 5,000 acres in size and offers many opportunities for boating, swimming, and other water-oriented recreational activities.  Especially during the warm summer months, many lake shore residents and visitors to the area can be seen taking advantage of the recreational opportunities the lake provides.

The rich boating history of Lake Whatcom extends back before settlers arrived here in the mid- 1800s. Local Indians used the Lake and its surroundings for transportation, fishing, hunting, and gathering. Its use increased in the late 1800s and early 1900s as settlers began to use the lake for transport of raw materials such as wood and coal and moved into the era of steam and eventually gasoline powered engines. 

Today, during the warm summer months many people use the lake for both motorized and non-motorized boating.  With this use comes the potential to adversely affect water quality and to impact the people and wildlife that depend on the lake environment.

This section provides valuable tips to help people using motorized watercraft to take steps to reduce their impacts on water quality.

Important Updates: 

The use of carbureted two-stroke engines is now prohibited on Lake Whatcom.

Please see the City's Ordinance Number 2005-06-04 (PDF) and Whatcom County's Ordinance Number 2004-042 (PDF) for more details or contact the City's Environmental Resources Manager at 360-778-7900.

Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!

Do your part to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering (and leaving) Lake Whatcom:

  1. Clean – Remove all aquatic plants, animals, and mud and thoroughly wash everything.
  2. Drain – Drain all water from your boat, trailer, tackle and gear before leaving the area, including wells, bilge, and engine cooling water.
  3. Dry – Allow sufficient time for your boat to completely dry before launching in other waters (a minimum of  5 days).
  4. If you cannot perform these steps, you should have your boat professionally cleaned with high-pressure hot water (>140 degrees Fahrenheit) before launching into other waters. Many water bodies throughout the Northwest are now working to set up portable washing stations to decontaminate boats before they enter the water.
  5. Do not release pets, aquatic plants, or aquarium water into the wild.