Registered and non-registered boat users were contacted

The consultation exercise by the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) aimed to determine how to finance and operate patrol services.

Registered and non-registered boat users on Windermere, Derwentwater, Coniston and Ullswater were targeted.

More than 2,000 views were processed and 83% rejected plans to charge.

On Windermere, where powered craft already pay a registration fee, further options to update the current scheme will now be considered.

'Significant opposition'

However, suggestions of extending it to include non-powered craft on Windermere and to implement a registration scheme for all craft on the three other lakes will not now be recommended to the authority for approval.

Carissa Lough, national park recreation management advisor, said that the consultation process had been a valuable exercise producing a vast amount of "robust and statistically sound information."

She added: "There is significant public opposition to extending the Windermere byelaws to non-powered craft.

"It is likely that an application to amend the registration byelaws to do this could result in a potentially lengthy and costly Public Inquiry.

"Equally introducing similar schemes on Coniston, Ullswater and Derwentwater would be just as unpopular and could promote strong opposition."