swanfalls res. boating hazards

[elkmagnet]

I am going to give swanfalls a try this Saturday. I have never had a boat in the water there. Any specific boating hazards? It looks hazardous on my map. I will be targeting smallies any help would be greatly appreciated. As always feel free to pm me. I will give a report on Mon.


Thanks -Justin
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[hizah]

Stay in the middle at the beginning, stay on the right side by the first island under the power lines. Stay closer to the left after that. When you get close to the vertical cliff on the left stay closer to that, there is a big sand bar in the middle right there. Keep running up the middle there are a couple rock bars that come off the left, don't go past the second island, its a ways up unless you know the channel well, there are some random hazards in the flat through that section. The rivers moving fast so its pretty obvious where the main channel is, good luck I've done better fishing the eddies when the river is going this fast, but it depends on what the fish are doing now and the water temp.
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[crappyslayer]

There are a lot of big (truck size) rocks just 18" or so under the surface, as far as 100' from shore. Used to go a lot with a friend of mine in a small aluminum boat, and we broke off at least a dozen sheer pins. Just go slow and keep your eyes open the first few times you go.
All we ever did is troll close to the boat ramp (within 1/2 mile).
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[elkmagnet]

Well thanks for scaring me, and I thought oxbow was bad. Are any of the hazards marked?
Does anyone have info on the river flow is there a website for it? I have fished the river my whole life but never in a boat that was worth more than about $500 so I never really cared.
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[hizah]

http://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/owytea.html
Nothings marked but it's really not that bad. Use common sense, what is on the hillside is in the water under the hill. If your really worried find someone who knows it and run to the top with them or follow another boat as long as its not a jet.
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[elkmagnet]

I bookmarked it. Thanks
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[SmartWeed]

That gage is actually below Swan Falls dam and shows water released from the dam. I don't believe there is a gage that reads the water levels at Swan Falls reservoir. If there are readings for the reservoir I'd sure like to have the link.
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[elkmagnet]

Well thanks for the help I'm happy to say their were no hazards encountered on my trip. The fishing was slooow for us. The water temp was 46-47 and the water is dirty (seemed to be a bad combo) so jerkbaits didn't work nothing on the dropshot. My wife caught one 2#ish smallie on a dark tube and I got skunked. Oh well it helped with the cabin fever.
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