Not disagreeing with the feeling that 2 to 3 feet seems much bigger than when on the lake and can be unfishable at times. It does to me too. After 40+ years of coastal and ocean fishing, 4 feet on these lakes in a small boat, seems very different to me than 4 feet in an open, deep water place (ocean). Fishing was no problem most times because 4 feet showed up as a long swell. I believe it is the wave period and how steep the waves are - a result of the relatively shallow water, rather than their actual height that makes it so different. I could be wrong, wife says I usually am.