We saw it in the first hints of crimson and gold in the mainland treeline. We felt it when the water temperature dropped 20 degrees and the air temperature followed as we approached the mainland sea caves. And we appreciated it, as we enjoyed relatively calm seas and sunshine after a week filled with small craft advisories and six-foot waves. In the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, fall hits in all kinds of ways.  It marks the end of the summer boating season, and for us, the annual mission to retrieve the Wave Watch boater safety buoys.

On this misson, a team of five from the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, the University of Wisconsin – Madison and Friends of the Apostle Islands traveled many miles aboard the NPS Ajijaak to retrieve buoys from the flats between Long Island and Madeline Island, from near the Stockton Island tombolo, from near Red Cliff Point and from near the mainland sea caves.

The fifth buoy, located near the Devils Island sea caves will continue to provide wave reports into mid-October, in part to be of service to the Apostle Islands Kayaking Express and the Apostle Islands Cruise Service through the end of their season.

2026 Wave Watch buoy locations – click to enlarge

Buoy retrieval mission slideshow – click to enlarge

Friends of the Apostle Islands Executive Director Jeff Rennicke says Wave Watch is literally a life-saving service for Lakeshore visitors. Rennicke says, “Wave Watch empowers boaters to make smart decisions before they get on the water and with their cell phones and the free QR Code, during their adventures.” He says, “We believe so strongly in the importance of boater safety that we’ve committed to keep Wave Watch goinig for at least five years. With financial support from members of the boating communities and partners, we’ll get that done and look for additional opportunities to enhance your safety on the water as part of Wave Watch.”

Each Wave Watch buoy and its yellow marker flag are anchored in 50 to 100 feet of water. The retrieval process involves using a boat hook to grab the buoy and flag, then attaching a pulley assembly and red lifter buoy to the anchor line. When the boat pilot puts the boat into reverse, the force of the water pushes the buoy down the line, lifting the heavy anchor weights off the bottom of the lake. When the weights reach the buoy, the boat stops. The pulley mechanism keeps the weights hanging just under the buoy while the team pulls the line, float and weights back to the boat. The system making pulling in the line and weights much easier than lifting the weights off of the lake bottom by hand. The video shows the retrieval process and a few surprises. 

Buoy retrieval mission video – click to watch

On this mission we encountered a few surprises. We found fishing lures hooked into anchor lines at two different locations. The lures interfered with the retrieval process until we removed them. In one case, the lure was attached to a significant amount of fishing line. We have to wonder if the people fishing had any idea about what they had caught. One of the boat hooks being used to snag the buoys also broke but overall it was a very successful effort on a beautiful fall day. Yes, fall hits different when retrieving the buoys becomes a highlight of the change in seasons. It’s a good feeling.

Friends would like to thank the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore team led by Supervisory Park Ranger Karl Carlson, deckhands Max Zeitler and Eric Eppensteiner, scientist Dr. Josh Anderson and the University of Wisconsin, as well as other project partners and supporters for making this important boater safety initiative happen. The Wave Watch buoys will be back in the water in the spring of 2027.  For more information on Wave Watch and how you can get involved, click here.

Written and photographed by Jon Okerstrom. Jon is a Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore board member and digital and social media volunteer with a background in digital and television journalism, photography and graphic design. One other note: Jon used a specialized 360 degree camera – not a drone – to capture the video and some of the images. Drones are generally not permitted in National Parks or in the National Lakeshore.