Truesdale Lake  

South Salem, New York

Boats

Boating on Truesdale Lake

Boaters on Truesdale Lake enjoy the lake on canoes, kayaks, sailboats, rowboats, windsurfers, sculls, paddle boats, and floating wooden “pleasure barge” docks.

No gas powered boats or vehicles are allowed on Truesdale Lake (this includes snowmobiles and ATVs in the winter).

Electric motors (trolling type motors) are limited to a max of 150 lbs. thrust — which is equivalent to roughly 2 horsepower. A typical canoe or rowboat motor typically needs less than 55 lbs thrust.

No other motors are permitted on the lake.

The motor limits are a deed restriction.

Boat launch access is available by prior arrangement. See Boat Launch page for details.

Truesdale Lake hosts one of the oldest Sunfish Fleets in the world – Sunfish Fleet #27. The fleet hosts a spring pre-season series, a summer race series and the President’s Cup Labor Day race. Visit here for results of the latest season.

Boat Stickers

All boats are required to have a registration sticker.

WARNING: Boats stored on the lake without a sticker are considered abandoned property and will be removed and sold. Register your boat today (click here)!

If you bought a boat with a Truesdale Sticker already on it, you MUST TRANSFER THE STICKER TO YOUR NAME by registering the boat using the same form (click here). If you do not do this when we check the registry against the boats stored, the boat will come up with the original owner’s name and we will consider it abandoned by them since we have no way of knowing that you own the boat now. JUST LIKE A CAR – register it in your name!

If you are a non-deeded member and you purchase a boat from a member with a sticker, you cannot register the boat under your address. It must be removed from Truesdale Lake since if you do not live here you don’t have the right to store it on our private boat launch properties. IT WILL BE SOLD without notice.

Even if you store your boat on your property, a boat sticker is necessary.

Boat Registration on Truesdale Lake

In order to use boats on Truesdale Lake, you must be a deeded member of one of the lake organizations (TLPOA, TEA, Vreeland association) or have waterfront property AND you must have a valid Truesdale Lake boat sticker.

Click here fill out a boat sticker application online.

Applications are checked against a list of TEA, TLPOA, Vreeland, and Lake Shore Drive riparian addresses.

There are many reasons for requiring boats be registered:

  • Stopping invasive plant and animal species from being introduced into the lake (e.g. watermilfoil, zebra mussels, snakehead fish) when unauthorized boats are used in more than one lake.
  • Ensuring access to the lake is restricted and private.
  • Getting your boat back in case of flooding and/or wind. Neighbors who retrieve your windblown boat can call to determine who the boat belongs to.
  • Eliminating trespassing on private properties.
  • Your boat will not be impounded and removed if it does not have a Truesdale Lake boat registration sticker.
  • Boat stickers are available free for TLPOA, TEA, Vreeland, and waterfront owners in good standing (dues are current).

Boats with valid stickers can be stored at your association’s designated boat storage lots around the lake:

  • TLPOA members have access to boat storage at lots at the corner of Gilbert and Indian Lane (near the dam next to TLPOA lot #96), on Hoyt Street (between lot #124 and #125), as well as a lot on Lake Shore Drive (between lot #6 and #7). [see TLPOA map]
  • TEA members can store boats at the TEA-owned lot at the corner of Gilbert Street and Lake Shore Drive. [see TEA map]
  • Vreeland owners have an association property near the development off of Boway.

All boats (whether kept on your property or at the designated boat storage lots) must have a valid Truesdale Lake boat sticker.

Failure to obtain a sticker will result in the removal of your boat.

If you move outside of the deeded rights area you must remove your boat immediately.

We will make an attempt to contact you via the information you provided on the application. If that fails we will sell your boat at one of our periodic boat auctions.

There are instructions on the boat registration form. The form can be filled out on your computer and submitted online. The designated boat registration representative for Truesdale Lake will get a notice and will get you your sticker usually within 2-5 days.