Ask a conservation officer

[Lee Borgersen]

 




    Ask a conservation officer:

  .....  Shoreline posted as private is off-limits to boaters.
 
Today at 12:13 a.m.



 



Q: When I am navigating a river in a canoe and I come across an obstruction such as a logjam or beaver dam, can I go around the obstruction on land, even if it’s posted “No Trespassing”?

 



A: No. For outdoor recreation purposes, legally posted land is legally posted land. A stream or lake is open to recreational use over its entire surface if it is capable of recreational use and if it is lawfully accessible, such as through a public access or intersection with public land or a public road right-of-way, or with permission from a private landowner.

However, once you are on that water, you cannot use it to access legally posted private land without permission from the landowner. The public’s right to recreational use is only on that water, and not surrounding land, regardless of an existing high water mark.


If you expect to have issues in your canoe travels, it is much easier to contact landowners for permission to go around than to have to cross over the dam or logjam. Check pages 6-9 of the current Hunting Regulations book, or MN Statute 97B.001, for more information.

Matthew S. Miller is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources