Low Water Boating This Coming Weekend

[Leitsout]

I plan on heading down this Wednesday and staying through Sunday. I was curious if it will be safe to boat given the low water situation I've heard about. We normally head upstream from the Cooper Creek boat ramp. Also, I haven't been down since the high water mark this spring; any tips on navigating my way into the catch and release area would be helpful. I know I read a topic from earlier this year regarding the navigation changes from the high water but I can't seem to find it again. Any help would be appreciated.

[catfish307]

I'll be down Thursday thru Monday this week as well. If I understand it right, boating should be pretty much OK from Fall Creek on down. I put in at Cooper Creek as well and will be staying at Lilley's.

[Phil Lilley]

I'll get out tomorrow and see.

[jdmidwest]

Will the draw down affect the fall brown spawn any? I noticed the MDC plans to do some habitat construction in the area, what about the redds?

[Phil Lilley]

Zero reproduction so no worries about any redds. No moving water where they're going to place rocks anyhow (no generation).

Should not affect any browns moving up.

[Phil Lilley]

Haven't been on the water yet but I've heard no prop boats above Trout Hollow- only jets can make it. Shallow spots and logs underwater are dotted from there down- stay in the middle of the channel and you're ok.

Fishing very good this am drifting crawlers from TH down to our place. Babler had a nice trip with good rainbows and lost a 26 inch brown.

[catfish307]

Wow, that seems pretty low. Looks like we won't have to boat too far from the dock this weekend.

[Phil Lilley]

I got out at 5 pm today and took a jon boat to the dam. They were running 4 units- the level at the dam was 706 feet so there was plenty of water everywhere. But it wasn't that way for most of the day.

Babler said he hit a gravel bar just below Scotty's Trout Dock. He said it looked like Turkey Creek was the culprit. The bar extended out from the creek and went way out to the middle of the channel. It was shallow enough he messed up his prop good.

Like I reported earlier- fishing was very good this morning but it got stinky this afternoon.

MDC put in 5000 rainbows at Cooper Creek Access this afternoon- just so you know. Babler said they dumped them off the ramp, not from a boat.

I drifted from below outlet #1 past outlet #3, drug an anchor and worked a 1/8th oz olive jig along the north bank. Tried to swing the jig like a stream behind the boat. Caught 8 rainbows on one pass- 3 of which were over 17 inches. 4 were dark males.

I drifted on down and caught 4 more rainbows. Was hoping for a brown.

Man what a nice evening. Stayed out till way past dark just drifting a scud. No more fish but it didn't matter.

[Phil Lilley]

I took a jon up the lake this morning at 7:30 am. Water was running about as low as it will go right now. I was able to get up past Trout Hollow by keeping the boat on plane... and not looking down. About 9 am, I saw 2 bass boats blow up over the shoal there with no problems. But I'm telling you, it's marginal at best. Babler won't do it.

After getting past the shoal there, stay in the normal channel and you'll be fine all the way to the dam. It gets deeper as you go up.

made one drift with an olive/sculpin 3/32nd jig and caught 3 rainbows. Didn't catch anything till I was past Rocking Chair. No bite, just jigging the jig and it got heavy. Caught a nice smallmouth at the ramp.

[duckydoty]

I saw they have the sign up below the boat ramp at the upper end warning of the boating hazards (Rocks). Are all the rocks in place already? If so, did you see any of them or feel like you were in danger of hitting any?