- Lake Lapeer Association -
A Private Community - Est. 1974
Welcome to the Lake Lapeer Association
Lake Lapeer is a beautiful 240-acre private lake located in Lapeer County, Michigan. Situated 50 miles north of Detroit, 20 miles east of Flint, and 60 miles west of Ontario, Lake Lapeer is a magnificent setting for 350 homeowners. Year-round activities abound on Lake Lapeer. Boating, water sports and fishing comprise summer highlights while the winter finds residents enjoying ice fishing, skating, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling. Lake Lapeer Association is managed by nine elected directors. Directors volunteer their services which are aimed at advancing the welfare of Lake Lapeer Association members living around the lake. We hope that this website is informative and answers questions that you may have pertaining to Lake Lapeer living.
Attention Realtors and Title Companies:
Realtors and title companies should contact the Lake Lapeer Association at lakelapeerassociation@gmail.com for information about outstanding fees, assessments, and liens relating to Lake Lapeer property that is for sale. Please allow LLA two weeks to respond to your request for a status letter.
Buyers should email lakelapeerassociation@gmail.com with their name(s), home postal address, e-mail address(es), and telephone number(s). We have a very active community and want to ensure that all new owners receive LLA communications.
If you need further information or clarification please feel free to contact our treasurer, Barb Murawski @ 810-252-1971.
Boater Safety: It is the Responsibility of the Watercraft Operator to Know the Laws!
Lake Lapeer is proudly patrolled by Lapeer County Sheriff and Michigan DNR Conservation
The complete boating rules and regulations handbook can be found here: Michigan Boating Laws
Who May Operate a Boat
Those less than 12 years of age:
May operate a boat powered by a motor of no more than 6 horsepower (hp) legally without restrictions.
May operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 6 hp but no more than 35 hp legally only if they:
Have been issued a boating safety certificate and have it on board the boat and…
Are directly supervised on board by a person at least 16 years of age and have been issued a boating safety certificate.
May not operate a boat powered by a motor of more than 35 hp legally
Those born on or after July 1, 1996:
May not operate a motorboat that is powered by a motor or motors totaling more than 6 hp on the waters of this state unless the person has been issued a boating safety certificate.
Those born before July 1, 1996, may operate a boat legally without restrictions.
Who May Operate a Personal Watercraft (PWC)
Those less than 14 years of age may not legally operate a PWC.
Those 14 and 15 years of age:
May operate a PWC legally only if they have obtained a boating safety certificate and…
He or she is accompanied on board by his or her parent or legal guardian or by a person at least 21 years of age who has been designated by the parent or legal guardian or…
He or she is operating or riding the PWC at a distance of not more than 100 feet from his or her parent or legal guardian or from a person at least 21 years of age who has been designated by the parent or legal guardian.
Those at least 16 years of age and born after December 31, 1978:
May operate a PWC legally only if they have obtained a boating safety certificate.
Those born on or before December 31, 1978, may operate a PWC legally without restrictions.
Unlawful and Dangerous Operation
Reckless Operation of a vessel or reckless manipulation of water skis, a surfboard, or similar device is defined as operation which disregards the safety or rights of others or endangers the person or property of others. Some examples are:
Weaving your vessel through congested waterway traffic or swerving at the last possible moment in order to avoid collision
Jumping the wake of another vessel unnecessarily close to the other vessel or when visibility around the other vessel is restricted
Chasing, harassing, or disturbing wildlife with your vessel
Causing damage from the wake of your vessel
Failure to Regulate Speed is operating a vessel at speeds that may cause danger to life or property of any other person or at speeds that will not permit you to bring your vessel to a safe stop. It is illegal to operate a vessel:
In excess of 55 mph
At greater than “slow, no wake speed” when a person is in the bow of a vessel without proper seating
Faster than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions (weather, vessel traffic, etc.)
Neighborhood Watch
The Lake Lapeer Neighborhood Watch was established in 2018 with the support of the Lake Lapeer Association and in cooperation with the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Department. In 2022, it officially became part of the LLA.
The mission of the Neighborhood Watch is to bring Lake Lapeer neighbors together to maintain a safe, friendly, active, and better-connected community for the purpose of being the best possible residential area. To promote safety, road signs are posted around the lake reminding everyone to be alert to any unusual or suspicious activity. Any such activity should be reported promptly by calling “9-1-1”. If you see something, say something. To encourage a friendly, active and better-connected community, the Neighborhood Watch sponsors annual lake-wide activities so that all Lake Lapeer residents can get better acquainted and enjoy the company of other residents. To help residents of various neighborhoods around the lake get better acquainted, the Neighborhood Watch promotes neighborhood-specific activities such as block parties and trick-or-treating.
A goal of the Neighborhood Watch is to minimize use of the LLA General Fund. To that end, we do periodic fundraisers. Everyone living on or adjacent to Lake Lapeer is invited to participate in the Neighborhood Watch. Please send us an email with your suggestions about future events or neighborhood safety to lakelapeerneighborhoodwatch@gmail.com.
Enemies Of Our Lake
Leaves
Leaves and fertilizers are enemies of our lake because they stimulate weed and algae growth as well as can decrease water quality and harm aquatic life. Phosphorus, found in decaying leaves and many fertilizers, promotes plant growth. Though you can’t control leaves that drop from trees into the lake or enter the lake because they are windblown, you can be careful not to rake or blow your leaves or grass clippings into the lake. In addition to phosphorus, decaying leaves and grass release carbon and nitrogen into the water. Those nutrients are great for soil but are pollutants to our lake. Further, burning leaves or wood on the shoreline or on ice in Michigan is prohibited by law because of pollutants that can enter waterways. Finally, blowing leaves into the lake increases silt. Silt deposit is the reason that Lake Lapeer recently was dredged, costing each property owner hundreds of dollars.
Fertilizer
You also can help improve our water quality by using low phosphorus fertilizer. In addition to using low phosphorus fertilizer, the State of Michigan recommends that:
• fertilizer not be applied within 15 feet of the lake unless there is a buffer at least 10 feet wide that separates the lawn from the lake or
• fertilizer may be applied as close as 3 feet from the lake if a spreader guard/deflector shield or a drop spreader is used.
Geese
Finally, goose droppings in our lake can cause several health problems for swimmers as well as can speed up eutrophication which causes weeds and algae to grow faster. Please don’t feed geese.