Floating Beaver Dam to Hausman

[Dusty Ford]

Planning on float fishing in kayaks from below Beaver Dam to the Hausman access this Thursday. Anyone tell me how long this float is and is it enjoyable this time of year? Any info is appreiciated.

[Wildwood]

Just guessing, about 6 or 7 miles. Good float if they are generating.
866-494-1993 for schedule. Good fishing, too. Good luck! Have fun.
Jan

[Dusty Ford]

Jan, Thanks for the phone number, I just called it. That is a great resource. It will make trip planning much easier knowing the exact time of flow.

[Wildwood]

Sure, Dusty. If y'all want to stop in Eureka for a cold one, Chelsea's is a good place to hang out for bloody mary's, beer and great food upstairs.

Have a fun float and catch lots of fish . . .
Jan

[buffalofloat]

Dusty when you do this float can you please give us a trip report. Im planning a trip on the white probably sometime in September. Not sure whick section yet but a report on your trip would be good information. Thanks Danny H.

[Eric Esche]

I'll trry to post one as well. We have a group of maybe 8 seakayaks meeting up at 2PM today to set shuttle from Beaver Dam to Town of Beaver maybe 13 miles, that is a regular weekday paddleing group of retired type folks or folks who work jobs that let them off a day during the week. We expext the release about 3PMbut no telling if it will one or two generators, so somewhere between 3000 and 7000 something CFS of cool water.

We have paddled this section several times, just not with a release from the top end as a group. We also have paddled up stream from Beaver and from Houseman with and without water releases and we do it year round, coldest being about 15F so far, and warmest about 100F. Good eagle watching on this section in past, and other traffic on the river is usually counted on one hand. Paddleing up Blue spring side tributary is seat to see all the fish.

Our group also paddles all over Beaver lake from south of 412 bridge to the dam if anyone wants to join us. Think I am only ACC member, but like most ACC unofficial trips, we welcome anyone. And with a little warning, we can come up with a spare boat and gear for someone who wants to join us. Got some faster boats in this group, like up to 19', but we do not leave anyone behind, although we can get strung out. Also have 2 memmbers of this group who have made and regularly use their Cheasapeake Light Craft wooden kayaks, one a 16' and the other a 17', and the builders are always willing to talk about what it is like to build a wooden kit boat.

Give us a shout Dusty if you see a grayish white Prion Kodiak with a dog in a lime green-yellow PFD on the front deck, and I'll pass you a beer.

Eric

[Dusty Ford]

We did our fishing float today, put in at 12oclock at the dam and slow fished till they opened a generator at 2:00, then we drift fished till we hit Hausman. Caught about 25 Rainbows the biggest was 17 inches. Done at 6:00 could have been 2 hours quicker but we took our time. Great float with lots of fish.

[Wildwood]

I'm glad you had a good time! Even better that you caught fish.

Jan

[Eric Esche]

We were running shuttle when they blew the horns announcing the water release. We ran the back side of the release from about 3PM until 6:30PM for 13 miles to the town of Beaver, but we were paddleing faster than most folks would paddle in 9 seakayaks, and that included a 30-45 minute break. I think they were only releasing on one generator, based on the shore lines, and the surge only lasted to just below Houseman access and Blue Spring. But it was Ice cold water while it lasted, cold enough to hurt to stand in. Outside air temperature was 97F.

We did see Dusty on the river, and offered him a beer, but he said he was doing fine.

Last 7 miles was slower with almost no current as Tablerock Lake was FULL and backed up a long ways.

We saw a low flying mature Bald Eagle, and a small yearling mink that entertained us for over 10 minutes with his scramblings on the right bank, and a beaver who charged down into the water from the left. Lots of gray and green herons, kingfishers, and geese, like over 100 geese during the day, and maybe 40 ducks. I counted 58 geese in one grouping. Mary said she got to see many schools of fish at Blue Springs. Water was clear down to about that point, but became turbid below Blue Springs.

All in all, a beautiful sunny day, but the last 6-7 miles was slow with almost no current. Would have been nicer taking out at Houseman access, although much shorter. 13 miles putting in at 3PM is pushing it even in sea kayaks. We took one 30-45 minute break, and should have taken another, but the one we took was good as we had 3 folks try out other boats and paddles.

Got another paddler hooked on Lendal Powermaster paddles when we loaned her Mary's new paddle for half the day. Angie also wants me to find her a sea kayak, longer than her 12' Wildrness Systems rec boat. She's going to keep her old boat and had no problem keeping up with us using the Lendal Powermaster paddle, but she wants a faster boat and a Lendal paddle . She was using a AT touring paddle before we loaned her the Lendal at Blue Springs.

Eric Esche