Navigational Hazards List - Need Your Help

[DHaun]

Some of these have been posted in the past and are probably scattered deep in the pages of CFF archives. I thought it might be useful to create a consolidated permanant post for the Educational forum. This may help save a few lower units in the future and keep us all safer on the water so <u>Please contribute all you know for every body of water and/or tailrace you frequent</u>. I am looking for concise information anglers can quickly find so please keep your posts limited to actual hazard information rather than discussions about past damages and solutions...Please save those posts for another thread. Thanks! I'll start with a few:

Chester Frost Hump (unmarked and a definite low water hazard)

Chickamauga Dam Rock Pile (Note how it extends below the RR Bridge outside the main channel)

Watts Bar Dam Wing Wall Hazard (Thanks for the diagram SpurHunter)

 

[Hal]

I don't have a picture but, beware of the end of the ramp at Chester Frost. If you back too far
into the water your trailer will drop off the end of the concrete and may kill your trailer wheels
springs or axle. Also there are some big rocks that could get the foot on the motor as you load
in this area.

 

[SpurHunter]

The text on the map might be more readable now.

 

[team-d]

Ft Loudon

Here's a pic of the rockpiles at Ft Loudoun dam, I ran all over the top of these during the summer when Watts Bar was full pool and Ft Loudoun was generating and it wasn't a problem - in fact the wife and I wore the white bass out right on top of them late summer. Scares the heck out of me looking at them now. I have a picture somewhere but can't find it tonight, I'll see if it's on my work computer tomorrow or take another one and post. Anyway, you can see to stay out of the spillway basin during winter pool unless you're just tooling around on the trolling motor. The rockpile almost straight downstream from the wingwall is one to watch out for now that Watts Bar is at winter pool, it sits just under water a lot of times when there is no generation, but you will see the boils coming over it when generating. The bad part is you either have to run straight back up to the powerhouse (over the fish and dodging bank anglers throwing big bucktails half way across the river), or shoot the gap between that rockpile and the cluster of rockpiles in the spillway basin.

 

[team-d]

Watts Bar Rockpiles

I'm sure DK and some of the others have more info than me, I've only been on the water here once with Spur and have done some "observing" when I'm working here. There is the ugly steel box spur mentioned above, will definitely take a big bite out of the prop and lower unit. There is also some shallow water 2-3 feet deep (the day we were there) out from the navigation lock discharge (there is a 10-15 foot hole right in front of them but it comes up as you move out away from them). There are also a couple shallow ridges or similar downstream shown in yellow (exact location may be down a bit farther, can't exactly remember - you can see the water boiling or rippling over the top of them). They weren't shallow enough to hit the day we were there but I imagine they can be bad with little or no generation and a low Chickamauga pool.

 

[team-d]

Melton Hill

Only been here once as well, there was no generation and the wind was howling straght up the river so took a quick poke around to see what it looked like. I didn't find anything that looked dangerous. If I remember right the blue area just in front of the powerhouse was 30-40 feet deep. The yellow area was up and down but all 6-8 feet deep, and there was an underwater "point" coming off of the end of the wingwall, still not shallow enough to hit. Not real accurate but how I saw it during a brief trip there. The run up from the ramp at the bridge to the dam is plenty deep, basically stay in the middle of the river and follow the buoys, around 20ft deep all the way up if I remember right.

 

[jon the fisherman]

RE: Melton Hill

have not seen any obsticals below the Hill, and I have run all over it hunting stripers

 

[Guest]

Nickajack:</p>

No hazards in the lake or below the dam.</p>

 

[Nickajack Angler]

Thank GOD! Man, there are a couple of spots that just look daunting if you don't know the area like me.... Thanks for the posting of the google shots Team D. That's helpful for trips in the next month to the chick... I heard Hal's heartache yesterday. And know that I don't want to feel that pain. Hope Hal is able to get back on the water soon.

 

[RangerRob]

I hate stating the obvious because we're all smarter than the Average Joe in here, but any pleasure boat is classified as a NAVIGATIONAL HAZARD. emoLaugh

 

[japlata]

Nice drawing ,"spur", I believe that there are two boxes the one you guys have mentioned, plus another, around eight to ten yards closer to the dam but the two boxes are parallel with the wing wall....

 

[BackOnTheWater]

RangerRob - 2/5/2008 9:53 PM I hate stating the obvious because we're all smarter than the Average Joe in here, but any pleasure boat is classified as a NAVIGATIONAL HAZARD. emoLaugh

</p>

You am do be a funny man, Rob!

</p>

 

[SpurHunter]

japlata - 2/5/2008 10:51 PM Nice drawing ,"spur", I believe that there are two boxes the one you guys have mentioned, plus another, around eight to ten yards closer to the dam but the two boxes are parallel with the wing wall....

</p>

I was with team-d the day we found that one. We were under the assumption it was the only one. We never moved up closer to the spillway that day. If you have a good idea of where it is, please do a "save picture as" on my drawing, and add it in there if you know how. I hope this thread will save lots of folks trouble! Thanks!!</p>

 

[hooker771]

If you are looking at the water from the ramp try to stay as far to the left as possible for an easier entry at CFSP

Hal - 2/4/2008 1:44 PM

I don't have a picture but, beware of the end of the ramp at Chester Frost. If you back too far
into the water your trailer will drop off the end of the concrete and may kill your trailer wheels
springs or axle. Also there are some big rocks that could get the foot on the motor as you load
in this area.

 

[EricM]

And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Skull Island ramp (or who have just been lucky) stay next to the green channel bouys going into and coming out of there. The red bouy side has rocks sticking out into what you think is the channel!!! This has eaten a lot of props and lower units.

 

[rsimms]

RE: Ft Loudon

team-d - 2/4/2008 8:13 PM

Here's a pic of the rockpiles at Ft Loudoun dam, I ran all over the top of these during the summer when Watts Bar was full pool and Ft Loudoun was generating and it wasn't a problem - in fact the wife and I wore the white bass out right on top of them late summer. Scares the heck out of me looking at them now. I have a picture somewhere but can't find it tonight, I'll see if it's on my work computer tomorrow or take another one and post. Anyway, you can see to stay out of the spillway basin during winter pool unless you're just tooling around on the trolling motor. The rockpile almost straight downstream from the wingwall is one to watch out for now that Watts Bar is at winter pool, it sits just under water a lot of times when there is no generation, but you will see the boils coming over it when generating. The bad part is you either have to run straight back up to the powerhouse (over the fish and dodging bank anglers throwing big bucktails half way across the river), or shoot the gap between that rockpile and the cluster of rockpiles in the spillway basin.

The one you have circled at the top... almost below turbines. I almost tore bottom off of my first bass boat there. emoEek Was on it in an instant... ended up just putting a slight scratch in fiberglass, but for a few seconds I thought I was gonna be sunk! Scary deal...

 

[fish4thepeck]

You can run most places at Tims but I have seen people mess up at mud island. When the water is down you have to go around the Island It looks like you can cut through and you can when the water is at summer pool. I have inserted a crude map and maybe it want confuse to many people.

 

[fish4thepeck]

sorry about the map, my computer skills must be like my fishing skills. Will work on it.

 

[catch 1]

Nickajack tailrace is extremely hazardous only a few locals brave the dangerous waters.Not worth risking life or equipment for a few Smallmouth.

 

[coppertop808]

EricM - 2/6/2008 3:03 PM

And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Skull Island ramp (or who have just been lucky) stay next to the green channel bouys going into and coming out of there. The red bouy side has rocks sticking out into what you think is the channel!!! This has eaten a lot of props and lower units.

I can personally attest to this one! Was coming out of Skull Island ramp and there was someone fishing right in the middle of the channel markers. So I dropped down to idle speed and flipped a coin.. left or right and unfortunately I chose to go to the left side (near the red markers) and found the rocks! Knocked an ear off the prop and ended my day. Oh, and he said 'you shouldn't go over that way' after I hit the rocks... thanks bud!! How bout you NOT stay in the middle of the channel when boats are coming in and out... Yes, I still hold a little anger over that one. emoMad

Anyway, thought I would make a picture to show where the problem area is. I marked where I think the markers are and the blue line indicates the path you should take.

I got this off of maps.live.com which is a great resource to look for shallow water hazards since most always the pictures are taken at low water levels. Check out the 'birds eye' view, it is usually within about a year that the photos were done.