On Friday afternoon, several police units were spotted dashing to callouts around the lake, while drones and officers on jetskis patrolled the water.

Officers from the Victorian Fisheries Authority and DELWP's conservation regulator were also on-hand to enforce the rules, with a number of cautions and fines issued.

FROM 2018: Hell of Australia Day at Lake Burrumbeet leaves campers cold

The focus is on safety as people begin to leave their homes, according to Victoria's top cop for water issues, Inspector Greg Barras.

"The enforcement plan today has been purely observation to see what the level of behaviour is like, to validate the information we'd received," he said.

"Unfortunately we've found some people on jetskis, or personal water craft, behaving poorly, and we've intercepted them and spoken to them.

"We've been using technology to make sure we capture the evidence, so this morning we've had drones in the air, making sure that public safety is being looked after, and making sure that public safety messaging is getting out to people."

Inspector Barras was particularly concerned by people affected by drugs and alcohol taking to the water, as well as the lack of safety equipment.

"We've seen an upward trend of offending with PWC, and some of the tactics that Victoria Police will be using this year include discreet members watching from boat ramps, and the use of drones - if you think you are going to offend on a jetski or PWC this year, just think about who might be watching," he said.

"One of the major contributing factors we find with boat collisions in Victoria is the use of recreational drugs and alcohol, and as part of the standard approach when we intercept you, as well as looking at your safety equipment, we will be breath testing you and drug testing you."

Ash Burns is a regulatory compliance officer with the conservation regulator, and he said his teams will be inspecting campsites throughout the summer.

"We've seen our parks, forests, and reserves have a significant increase in usage since the change in public health measures," he said.

"Our focus is on four major compliance issues - rubbish, off-road vehicle usage, unattended campfires, and vandalism.

"We're having significant issues with off-road vehicle use (at the lake), the site has some very culturally sensitive areas around it, and we've also put in some seasonal gate closures that will become permanent, and we've already found people have breached those gate closures as of this morning - they've been interviewed and dealt with from a compliance perspective.

"One of our focuses for summer is particularly unattended or abandoned campfires, because we're seeing a lot of users who historically haven't camped before, and a lot of those (abandoned) campfires actually turn into bushfires - put them out prior to going to sleep or leaving the area.

"We've got some significant funding to improve the amenities at the lake, and we really encourage people to enjoy it for what it is, but leave it how you found it, and for other people to enjoy into the future."

The cultural heritage aspect is important to understand, with dozens of ancient sites discovered around the lake - Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Paul Davis said officers would be joining the other teams to observe operations.

"If you think back, the Wadawurrung people have been here for tens of thousands of years, this was a meeting place, source of food, a source of life really - for them, there's a lot of significance with the lake, and it's important we all respect it," he said.

"The traditional owners have been concerned for a long time that the lake hasn't been fully managed in the best possible way, and I think their aspirations would be to play a role in that, so we're testing that out this weekend by sending out a few field officers to help out with DELWP and Victoria Police, that's a trial.

"It's a place that people can come out and enjoy, as long as they respect the significance of the place."

IN THE NEWS

Police will be returning to Lake Burrumbeet over the summer months to ensure compliance with vital rules that help to keep everyone safe out on the water.

"Based on what we've seen so far, I suspect we'll be back because there are issues that need to be dealt with from a water safety perspective here at Lake Burrumbeet," Inspector Barras said.

Anyone who spots illegal or antisocial behaviour should phone 000, or the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.

Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.