Mussel sticker fee rises for boaters on Nacimiento, San Antonio, other lakes
Lake Nacimiento is one of the freshwater lakes where boaters need the state mussel fee sticker, which is going up.
Fee for two-year sticker rises from $16 to $42 as golden mussels spread
– California State Parks‘ Division of Boating and Waterways has increased the state’s Mussel Fee Sticker, which boaters must display to operate on freshwater lakes such as Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio.
Effective Oct. 22, the sticker costs $21 when first purchased in an even-numbered year and $42 when first purchased in an odd-numbered year, according to the department. For a boater buying a full two-year sticker, the cost rises from $16 to $42.
The increase comes as golden mussels, first detected in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in October 2024, spread to additional waterways and water infrastructure. Invasive mussels can clog water intakes and pipes, damage water-delivery and power infrastructure, harm fisheries, attach to boat hulls and engines, and contribute to boating restrictions, according to the department.
“We recognize that any fee increase affects boat owners,” said Ramona Fernandez, deputy director of the division. “This strengthened Mussel Fee Sticker program will allow California to invest more into protecting waterways from the growing threat of invasive mussels and help waterbody managers keep those waters healthy, accessible and open for recreation.”
Fees support watercraft inspections, decontamination, early-detection monitoring, prevention planning and public education, including grants for waterbody managers.
State law requires California-registered recreational vessels operated in freshwater to display a current sticker on each side of the hull. Stickers are purchased separately from registration through the DMV. Vessels used only in salt water are exempt. Boaters are urged to clean, drain, and dry their vessels, trailers, and equipment before moving between waterbodies.
For more information, visit www.parks.ca.gov.
