“The air is warm but the water is dangerously cold... ALWAYS wear a lifejacket,” said Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in a news release.

MDIFW has submitted the following press release:

If you think you will have time to find and put on your lifejacket after you are in the water, think again. A lifejacket can only help save your life when you wear it! Fifty-five degree water can be deadly... and this time of year, Maine's lakes, rivers, and ponds are much colder than that. Even the strongest of swimmers succumb to the cold water within minutes.  
 
The sudden shock of your body plunging into cold water can cause dramatic changes in breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. If you survive the initial threats of cold shock, you may start to lose control of your muscles, making swimming and staying afloat nearly impossible without the help of a lifejacket or other personal flotation device.

Please wear your lifejacket at all times and pay close attention to changing weather patterns. The weather can change in a matter of minutes and you don't want to be caught in poor conditions.

Click here for more boating safety tips.

Help us keep it Maine: Protect our waters from aquatic invasive species

Maine has some of the country’s most pristine and healthy waters, which support high-quality habitat for fish and wildlife as well as endless opportunities for outdoor recreation.

Unfortunately, Maine waters, as well as the fish, wildlife, and recreation they support, are threatened each year by introductions of fish, plants, diseases, and other aquatic invasive species that compete with and displace native natural communities.

It is up to everyone who enjoys Maine's waters - boaters, paddlers, and anglers - to protect our waters. Learn how to clean + dry your boat to prevent the spread.

Learn how to protect Maine's waters

Register your boat

Boat registrations are valid from January 1 through December 31.

The easiest way to renew your boat registration is online at mefishwildlife.com, but not all towns have signed up with the state’s internet vendor, InforME, to do registrations. To renew your boat registration online, click here.

First time boat registrations cannot be completed online or at MDIFW offices, they must be done at the town office so the town can collect sales and excise tax.

Nonresidents: Boat registrations may be renewed online, but first time registrations cannot be done online or on the phone. If the boat will be kept in Maine waters for more than 60 days the boat must be registered in Maine in the town where the boat will be kept.

Watercraft with a valid registration in another state that are in Maine waters for less than 60 days do not require a Maine registration, but do require a Lake and River Protection Sticker.

Click here to learn more about boat registrations