The time-dependent development of a coastial frictional boundary layer forced by a wind stress impulse is investigated. Although because of mathematical nonuniformities in space and time a solution is found restricted to an inner region dominated by bottom friction, some details of the coastal response are found. In the context of a coastal response of a lake of the size of Lake Ontario it is found that maximum surface displacements of several centimeters occur in the left upwind and right downwind quadrants of the basin. In the adjustment to steady state these propagate counterclockwise around the coastal region. The coastal jets with maxima in the same quadrants do not move significant distances in the approach to steady state. Several aspects of the model appear in a forced response observed on the south shore of Lake Ontario.