MILWAUKEE - Spring means many people are itching to get their boats on the water, but it's not always a joyride...especially if severe weather strikes.

TODAY’S TMJ4 Forecaster Michael Fish offers some advice for smooth sailing.

It's a beautiful day, you're out on your boat, and suddenly, severe weather strikes. What do you do?

Ahh...a day on the lake in your boat. While it's all about fun, you better pack more than just a cooler and a fishing pole!

Nate Ackerman with the Department of Natural Resources patrols the waters for a living. He has this advice:

“Make sure everything's operational on your boat, and you really want to do that before you get out on the water, so that when you get out there if you run into bad weather, then you don’t get into trouble and you don’t need stuff you didn't have,” Ackerman said.

Don't forget your two best friends: your NOAA weather radio, and your cell phone. TODAY’S TMJ4 has text alerts to give you the latest info. on severe weather.

If thunderstorms are predicted, that severe weather can develop in minutes. A clear blue sky can instantly turn into a storm with damaging winds, lightning and hail.

“You need to know the lake, and be able to find areas you can get out of the wind, or safe harbors, or boat landings,” Ackerman said.

Most lakes have shelter areas and bathrooms near county parks, but don't waste your time getting there!

“What I’ve noticed is people wait until the last minute to get to safety or get to the shoreline, and what happens is there's a cluster of boats at one boat launch,” Ackerman said.

Severe storms escalate quickly. Under the right conditions, a twister can even form. A tornado on the water is commonly known as a water spout. A different name...but just as powerful!

TODAY’S TMJ4’s Michael Fish: “So you're out on your boat, see a tornado…what's best procedure?

“It’s a very dangerous situation and you don’t want to try to run straight away from it. What you want to do is, you want to get away from it, to the left or right of it,” Ackerman said.

If you're trapped out on the lake, and you can't make it to shore, there are steps you can take to increase your chances of survival.

“If you haven’t done it already, you really need to put some type of personal floatation device or life jacket on,” Ackerman said.

Michael Fish: “How about anchoring the boat?"

“You want to anchor the bow into the wind and drop one anchor off the bow because if you anchor it with the back into the wind or the stern into the wind, basically those big waves will come over the back of the boat and swamp the boat,” Ackerman said.

It's also important to have a first aid kit on board, in case someone gets hurt before medical help arrives.

Most of all...don't panic!

“Look over what's going on, take your time, get to landing, get to a safe area,” Ackerman said.

Whether it's on land or water...severe weather can strike at any time.

You can learn more on staying safe from the storm. The TODAY’S TMJ4 Weather Special, “Safe From The Storm” airs Friday night at 7:00 on TODAY’S TMJ4.