Launching and fishing below Morgan Falls dam?

[leoparddog]

I've really been wanting to take the yak out close to home and the Hooch at Johnson Ferry is the closest water to me. From looking at the threads here I know I can launch at Morgan falls and fish upstream of the "water retention barrier" at Lawyers lake and upstream, but what about below the dam?

Can you launch at the dog park or below the dam and paddle upstream? The launching part is most likely a yes since I can manhandle the yak to the water but I wouldn't want to float downstream and then not be able to make it back up stream to where I parked.

So below the dam, is upstream paddling an option or is it only viable when the water flow is low?

 

[SASS249]

There is a launch below the dam. I would not suggest planning on floating any distance downstream though and then paddling back. It can be done but only in low water conditions and you also have to check to see when they will generate from the dam.

Anytime you want to set uo a shuttle and do a float though give me call. I am usually up for it most days.

 

[leoparddog]

Thanks for the offer Bert. It won't be this weekend or the next couple. I have to show the hunting property on Saturday. Then I'm off to Colorado for about 2 weeks of hiking and hopefully some trout fishing.

 

[jocko755]

I launch from the rocks above the pier to shorten any up stream paddle. It is doable. You can launch at the ramp and go directly across river and paddle up the back water.

 

[JakkBauer]

Put in at J Ferry yesterday as this is closest water to my home as well. If the water isnt pumping you can make it all the way up to morgan falls from the J Ferry boat ramp in about an hour going upstream in the yak. If your goal is to just fish below the dam I would just park at the dog park tho.

 

[jocko755]

1 hour upstream paddle? Dang - your getting your work out in. I'd be too tired to cast!

Usually you can find slower water near shore and paddle up - just stay out of the main current.

 

[weagle]

I launch from the rocks above the pier to shorten any up stream paddle. It is doable. You can launch at the ramp and go directly across river and paddle up the back water.

That's sort of what I do too. I park just a few yards downstream from the pier where the parking lot is closest to the river. It's pretty easy from there to go right down the rocky bank to launch. Then I cut across the river and approach the dam from the flood wall on the far side. Or just fish for bass in the flood pool area behind the wall.

 

[GONoob]

Some of the best fishing before the flood. PB 6# rainbow! Went back once after and it wasnt the same. Hope it recovered.

 

[JC33]

With no release and somewhat slower moving water, you can put in at Johnson Ferry and paddle all the way up to the dam. However, just be aware of conditions and factor in strength, paddling skill, etc. I did that a couple of times, but remember it was pretty hard work (and a good workout) getting up there. This was several years ago, so not sure how much, if any, the flows have changed in that stretch. As I recall, the river was running pretty swift those times and pretty consistent all the way across to each bank...then there was a swift run of riffles I had to battle up near the ram by the dam. I'm hoping to get out there again soon myself...good luck with the fishing!

 

[weagle]

Did a little bass fishing in the flood pond behind the generation wall. Caught a few and got one on video.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[weagle]

Here's a little video from yesterday. Only caught a few small bream, but the video shows where I launch; I park in the parking lot just down from the fishing pier and drag the kayak down the rocks, and also gives a little tour of the area.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Philhutch80]

Some of the best fishing before the flood. PB 6# rainbow! Went back once after and it wasnt the same. Hope it recovered.

Nope, never did and may not ever unless Bull Sluice is dredged by Ga. Power which owns Morgan Falls.

 

[Sweetwater]

Some of the best fishing before the flood. PB 6# rainbow! Went back once after and it wasnt the same. Hope it recovered.

That's a shame. The epic 2009 flood has done a world of good for sweetwater creek in the run I fish it, which is from a mile upstream through the park. It scrubbed the bottom clean to bedrock in places it had been inches of sludge.Fresh water mussel population exploded for several years.
Figgered it would've done the same for the hooch. I mean dang, that flood had both creek and river running almost 30 feet above flood stage with flows that sounded demonic.

 

[JakkBauer]

That's a shame. The epic 2009 flood has done a world of good for sweetwater creek in the run I fish it, which is from a mile upstream through the park. It scrubbed the bottom clean to bedrock in places it had been inches of sludge.Fresh water mussel population exploded for several years.
Figgered it would've done the same for the hooch. I mean dang, that flood had both creek and river running almost 30 feet above flood stage with flows that sounded demonic.

unfortunately the way the dam is setup it does not facilitate this natural scrubbing at morgan falls and instead acts as a catch all that is never emptied out

 

[Philhutch80]

That's a shame. The epic 2009 flood has done a world of good for sweetwater creek in the run I fish it, which is from a mile upstream through the park. It scrubbed the bottom clean to bedrock in places it had been inches of sludge.Fresh water mussel population exploded for several years.
Figgered it would've done the same for the hooch. I mean dang, that flood had both creek and river running almost 30 feet above flood stage with flows that sounded demonic.

Yeah it swept an entire cell site clean of the equipment back in 09 that was near Sweetwater Creek. How’s the freshwater muscle population nowadays a decade later?

 

[Sweetwater]

Yeah it swept an entire cell site clean of the equipment back in 09 that was near Sweetwater Creek. How’s the freshwater muscle population nowadays a decade later?

I havent been to that specific set of shoals this year, but as of last fall there wasnt near as many as before, but still more than there used to be before the flood.