BOATS AND BOATING

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code tit. II, ch. 341, art. II

in effect

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-201 Disclaimer of city liability.

Sec. 341-201. - Disclaimer of city liability. Notice is hereby given to all persons who, at any time, own or operate any kind of boat upon Lake Indy or at any other place within the jurisdiction of the city that all boats using any such waterway shall be used and operated solely at the risk of the owner, operator or the persons therein, and that neither the city nor its board of parks and recreation or any other board or city official assumes any responsibility or liability therefor. The city also hereby gives notice to all persons who may use any such waterway that the city and its various boards and officials do not represent that any portion of any waterway has sufficient depth and is otherwise safe for boating or bathing purposes, or that it is free and clear of obstructions upon or beneath the surface thereof. (Code 1975, § 7-45)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-202 Boat launching.

Sec. 341-202. - Boat launching. (a) All boats being launched in Lake Indy or Eagle Creek Reservoir shall be launched solely from launching facilities designated and approved by the department of parks and recreation. (b) The board of parks and recreation is authorized to establish launch fees for boats using city launch facilities at Lake Indy, Eagle Creek Reservoir or Broad Ripple Park. (c) No boat shall be launched from any city launch facility unless it has paid the launch fee established by the board of parks and recreation. (d) No motorboat shall be launched from a city launch facility unless the operator is sixteen (16) years of age or older. (Code 1975, § 7-46)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-203 Unlawful operation generally.

Sec. 341-203. - Unlawful operation generally. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any boat to operate or cause, suffer or permit the boat to operate or permit such boat to be operated at any other place on Lake Indy or Eagle Creek Reservoir than those places so designated by the board of parks and recreation, or the board having jurisdiction thereover. No boating activity shall be carried on within five hundred (500) yards of Eagle Creek dam. (Code 1975, § 7-47)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-204 Maximum horsepower and length.

Sec. 341-204. - Maximum horsepower and length. It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of any motorboat having a motor exceeding ten (10) horsepower or of any boat exceeding twenty-six (26) feet in length or smaller than eight (8) feet in length, to operate, or cause or permit the boat to be operated at any time in and upon any portion of Lake Indy or Eagle Creek Reservoir except for boats owned, operated or under contractual agreement with the city, county or the State of Indiana. (Code 1975, § 7-48)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-205 Towing.

Sec. 341-205. - Towing. It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of any boat using any portion of Lake Indy or Eagle Creek Reservoir to tow another boat or any kind of object including water skiers at any time, except in emergencies of salvage, maintenance, or rescue work. (Code 1975, § 7-49)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-206 Safety channels and areas.

Sec. 341-206. - Safety channels and areas. (a) The board of parks and recreation, or any other board having jurisdiction, is authorized and empowered to establish and designate, by resolution duly adopted, certain safety areas in and along the stream of Lake Indy or in Eagle Creek Reservoir which shall be considered and known as "safety areas" and which shall be so designated and marked with appropriate signs to be erected or buoys to be anchored by the board, and placed either in the water or upon the banks of the stream, or by both such means. The board is further authorized and empowered to establish in the same manner, wherever deemed necessary, certain safety channels through which all boats shall proceed at a reduced speed, which in no event shall exceed five (5) miles per hour. Safety channels shall be established, designated and marked as are other safety areas, either by the erection of appropriate signs or by the placing buoys in the waterway outlining such channels, or by both such means. (b) It shall be unlawful for the operator of any boat to travel at a speed greater than five (5) miles per hour in, upon and through any safety channel which shall be now or hereafter established pursuant to subsection (a) and so designated and marked. Also, it shall be unlawful for the operator of any boat at any time, except to rescue some person from danger, to enter in and upon any area in such stream of Lake Indy or Eagle Creek Reservoir which shall be now or hereafter established, designated and marked as a "safety area," as provided in subsection (a). (Code 1975, § 7-50)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-207 Landing area.

Sec. 341-207. - Landing area. The board of parks and recreation, or any other board so in control of any stream or portions thereof, is authorized and empowered, by resolution, to establish and designate and to erect signs showing the location of certain landing areas on and along the banks of such stream. The owner or operator of any boat using the waterway shall use only such landing areas as may be so established and designated for all such landings of boats. It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator of any boat to land or to embark such boat at any other place, except in an emergency so requiring, and when not in use all boats shall be securely moored at one (1) of the permanent docks, or piers or posts, erected at some such landing area. (Code 1975, § 7-51)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-208 Passing boats; speed and safety.

Sec. 341-208. - Passing boats; speed and safety. It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motorboat on Eagle Creek Reservoir or Lake Indy to do any of the following things: (1) To pass so close to another boat as to cause such other boat to be endangered, collided with, or to be swamped or overturned by the wake created by such motorboat; (2) To operate any boat in a negligent or reckless manner or at a rate of speed so as to endanger the life or property of any person at any places in or on such water, or when the boat is in a defective and dangerous condition; (3) To operate on any part of Lake Indy or Eagle Creek Reservoir any motorboat at a greater rate of speed than ten (10) miles per hour where or when not otherwise restricted to lower speeds, except in emergencies of maintenance, salvage or rescue, or when authorized by the department of parks and recreation for special events or programs. (Code 1975, § 7-52)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 341-209 Waiver for special events.

Sec. 341-209. - Waiver for special events. The board of parks and recreation is authorized and empowered, by resolution, to waive the provisions of this article in conjunction with special event activities on Lake Indy or Eagle Creek. (Code 1975, § 7-53)

Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIPUORSA_CH341BODOWA_ARTIIBOBOFetched: 10/27/2026