floating the lehigh 1st weekend in october

[mutzinbaugh]

i waded the lehigh for the first time last fall and have been wanting to get back there. was thinking about floating it on 10/4/14 and was wondering if the gorge would be too much white water. basically i am looking for a put in and take out location and if there is a shuttle service available. thanks!

 

[SBecker]

Well unless you are a weatherman ........ who knows what the flows will be a month away? I do not know of a shuttle service. There would be a possibility I could help, but wouldn't know tull closer.

You floating in a kayak, pontoon, drift boat? Knowing that info will help with where you put in and take out.

 

[LehighRegular]

As SBecker said, the flows will be up to mother nature.

Assuming there will be enough water to float, if you intend on floating in the "Gorge" (between the dam and Glen Onoko) drift boats are not permitted. Your water craft must be rubber construction per the DCNR requirements.

Whitewater events are over, unless we get some significant rain between now and Oct 11th, which would be the "Big Flush" or "Mega" whitewater release. All other weekends should be for fisheries augmentation.

Check back as you get closer to your trip.

 

[Mike]

That is the first time that I have heard that about the limitation against drift boats in the stretch from the dam to Glen Onoko and that raises a question as to whether or not fishing guide services would then be using boats of rubber construction, such as rafts, to access that area in the future if colder releases/prolonged trout fishing were to occur. Assuming the DCNR regulation continued, that would suggest that minus the rafts the fishing guide services and their boating clients would be shut out from 15 miles of water, give or take. Is that correct?

 

[SBecker]

I knew you did not want to take a drift boat down due to the beating it would take, but never knew it was illegal. Many of the professional guides use 3 man pontoons for that section and drifters lower down.

 

[krayfish2]

Won't the lake turn by then? The release might be pretty warm and you might be better served floating below the gorge after the water has a chance to cool.

 

[PhilC]

Yes guides can use balloon boats as well...but don't they already take hard bottle boats down that stretch?
Also I've seen people one paddle boards (in very low flows) is that illegal as well?

 

[krayfish2]

Well, you were looking at people floating on the river and that is illegal. Did you ever give Nick's phone back? LMAO

 

[PhilC]

krayfish2 wrote:
Well, you were looking at people floating on the river and that is illegal. Did you ever give Nick's phone back? LMAO

Yep I sold it on craiglist so I could then buy his trailer

 

[Chaz]

The lake will not turn until the surface water reaches 39 degrees, I'm betting most years that is November or December.

 

[RyanR]

Mike wrote:
That is the first time that I have heard that about the limitation against drift boats in the stretch from the dam to Glen Onoko and that raises a question as to whether or not fishing guide services would then be using boats of rubber construction, such as rafts, to access that area in the future if colder releases/prolonged trout fishing were to occur. Assuming the DCNR regulation continued, that would suggest that minus the rafts the fishing guide services and their boating clients would be shut out from 15 miles of water, give or take. Is that correct?

Sorry but your premise is incorrect. No one's being shut out. This is not a new regulation and is well-known by the guides. The guide services permitted to operate in the Gorge all run Mckenzie Drifter-style pontoon boats for trips in the gorge. Trips run from the put-in just under the I-80 bridge down to the takeout in Rockport. Or from Glen Onoko downriver. I don't believe any guided trips are run between Rockport and Glen Onoko. Hard-bodied drift boats cannot safely navigate the gorge. There's at least one smashed up down there though if you care to look. Helps underscore the reason for the regulation.

And for the questions about the lake turning. The coldwater pool basically gets exhausted each year in mid to late summer. And by November, December it's already been drawn down. There's a "mega release" each October.

 

[Mike]

RyanR,
So on an ideal day with full bookings for each guide using the pontoon type or other rubber craft, how many boat trips of this type are being run (or your estimate) in the stretches you describe where such craft are required?

 

[RyanR]

Each guide typically runs one trip a day thru that stretch of the upper gorge (White Haven to Rockport.) I have no idea how many guides are currently permitted to run the gorge. Gorge trips for fishing are currently limited by the flow regime as well. Let's also remember the trout fishing that's also available to guide boats from Glen Onoko access and Jim Thorpe access and Lehighton access down thru Slatington and beyond. Like it or not that's a bonafide trout fishery down thru there too and would only be even better with a defined tailaater trout fishery flow regime and tower modification.

 

[LehighRegular]

Mike

I know of only handful (at most) guides that run trips down the gorge
The biggest issue is access to dump a boat in. Access areas are very rugged and unimproved. To get more fishing guides to operate in this section access needs to be improved. The access areas are more suited for whitewater rafts than trailers for fishing rafts. It's doable for a fishing raft but a lot of effort is usually required to get the boat in an out of the water.

The Dcnr would know the exact number of guides. They require a permit to operate within the park.

As for those asking about lake turnover. This lake does not act like a natural lake or lakes with a large volume of water. Not sure if there is any turnover at all because of how the corps operates the water releases.

Ryan. The mega release only happens if there is enough water remaining in the lake. As of now, there is not enough water to have the mega whitewater release.

 

[troutbert]

My brother and I once boated through the gorge during high flows in a 17 foot Grumman aluminum canoe.

We lived to tell the tale. But I wouldn't try that again. And wouldn't recommend anyone else try it either.

It's a rough stretch of river. Fast moving, with lots of rocks.

A driftboat would smash into a lot of rocks going down through there. You can get a pretty good look at all the rocky rapids by going to AcmeMapper and going to Satellite view.