The Waupaca County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol is a Department of Natural Resources subsidized program in which Waupaca County, through the Sheriff's Office, provides boating law enforcement on Waupaca County’s rivers, lakes and streams. Patrol begins on the Wolf River and most inland lakes at ice out and continues until late fall. On the Chain O Lakes, scheduled patrol begins on Memorial Day Weekend and continues through Labor Day Weekend.
Water Patrol Officers are responsible for patrol, enforcement, emergency response, assisting boaters in need, accident investigation and assisting in search and rescue on 30 nautical miles of the Wolf River; Chain O Lakes and all other lakes (126 total) covering approximately 6,449 acres as well as all other rivers and streams within Waupaca County. They also assist neighboring counties when needed during emergencies.
The Wolf River, Chain o Lakes and several other lakes within Waupaca County yield a high concentration of power boat, canoe, kayak and floating craft traffic throughout the spring summer and fall months. With nearly 10,000 registered boats in Waupaca County and the increase of watercraft traveling on the rivers and lakes, the Water Patrol period is very busy with education, enforcement, and investigation of a large variety of incidents.
The Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol Officers utilize four boats used for carrying out their duties. Two river boats owned by the county include a 21 foot Triton boat powered by a 115 HP Mercury outboard motor and a 17 foot Alweld boat powered by a 90 HP Mercury outboard motor. The Chain O Lakes boats owned by the Townships of Dayton and Farmington include a 17 foot Crestliner boat powered by a 90 HP Mercury outboard motor and an 18 foot Crestliner boat powered by a 115 HP Mercury outboard motor. All of these crafts are outfitted with lifesaving and emergency medical equipment.
The Waupaca County Sheriff's Office encourages all boaters to take part in a boater safety course and to always abide by all boating laws and safety rules.