Lights on my boat

[Pikemaster101]

I have a little boat that i want to take out night fishing on a local lake and i was wondering if I do not have lights for it can I use a flash Light For on the frount and the back or do the frount lights have to be green and red?

Thanks

[Slyster]

Not sure on the laws (look on the DNR site) but at Fleet Farm I bought bow and stern lights... bow with red/green lens.. both are D battery operated (just like a flashlight) and the just clamp on. Batteries last a long time too.. and they were cheap.. maybe $30 for both.

[Valv]

Yes By law they ahve to be red + green on bow and white on stern.

Check DNR web site under Boating > Regulations.

The clamp on portables are very handy, and cheap too.

[Blackduck]

Remember, if fishing at night and you are anchored you can only have your Rear (stern) "White Light" on. The red and green navigational lights can only be on while you are moving (navigating)

[mtreno]

or drifting both lights have to be on. got a ticket last year in rice county drifting with only the stern light on -

[fish-n-geek]

I've never heard that you *can't* have your bow light on while at anchor.

<quote>

When at anchor, only the 360° white light is necessary.

</quote>

Doesn't say anything about not being allowed to have the bow light on, just that it doesn't *have* to be on.

[GoodToGo]

Remember the intent of nav lights: to tell another boat at night what you are doing so that they can take appropriate action. If all you can see is a white light, it means the boat is either anchored, or headed away from you. In either case it is not going to cross your path. If you see red or green it may cross your path, so you have to decide what course to take. An anchored boat displaying red/green lights does not correctly state the boats intention. The U.S. Inland Rules of the Road are a little clearer than the DNR rules, but the intent is the same.