Must See US Lakes and Rivers

[larry_arizona]

Northern lower peninsula has hot summers too.

Only cautions are these big glacier cut lakes are they can get choppy due to wind.

Torch also gets some BIG luxury cruiser boats on it. It’s a very affluent area.


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[Swervy]

We had a similar problem in one of the local chain of lakes, in Richmond, about 25 mins west of us. Locals would not even eat fish from there or swim.

Are you referring to the Horseshoe Chain?

[Tahoeken]

Might be a long drive but you may want to try Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border. Beautiful high mountain (~6200 ft) lake. Deep blue and emerald waters. Visibility down to 40ft. Huge granite boulders with sandy bottom. Water temp in July is usually around 68 deg. It is a huge lake and will get quite choppy staring in the afternoon when the typical winds pick up. Lots to do outside of the lake as well especially if you like hiking. One of my favorite places in the world.

[Isaguel]

Are you referring to the Horseshoe Chain?

Yep. As I said, I've heard its gotten better for several years now. Many of the cabins/homes on the lake are multigenerational with antiquated sewage systems that seeped into the lake but have gradually been updated to modern codes. Also apparently farm runoff. COL is listed as one of the bodies of water that does not meet quality standards on the MPCA and is considered an "impaired body of water". Here is a link to the last Mn DNR TDML report. You can scroll down to the executive summary and plan for improvement. The report does mention the body of water has seen significant improvement in the last 25 years. It describes the last TDML report in 2009, since apparently several mitigation plans implemented to reduce mainly non-point (farm runnoff) pollutants.

https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/tm...s-tmdl-project

This is the actual TDML report:

https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/de...wq-iw8-38b.pdf

[Guppydriver]

Flaming Gorge is out of hand....its our stomping ground. Get a slip at Cedar Springs Marina.....tons of things to explore and water is about as clear as it gets. Super deep water with great cliff diving.

Where do you stay when you are there? We are planning a trip this summer. I heard there is a cool "boat in" campground, but not sure we are at that level yet.

[Isaguel]

The Castle Rock Cut is not likely to open this year, which will add about 12 miles to your trips out of Wahweap. If you rent out of Antelope Point, you would be able to reduce the trip up lake. As you explore, it is very important to have an understanding of what the water is like ahead, since there are many submerged rocks and ridges that will make live very interesting for anyone who hits it and are not likely to be well marked. Use the Navionics Boating app to download maps that are adjustable to the current water level. Also, wind tends to pick up in the afternoons for an hour or two, which can result in scary boating conditions, so make sure you know what to expect and it is wise to wait things out in a a good canyon where things will be calmer for a bit.

I spend most of my time in Lake Powell on the north end of the lake, but my brother in law loves the south end and enjoys Rainbow Bridge, Reflection Canyon, Gunsite, Padre Bay, and others. If you are really adventurous, the Escalante arm is amazing as well with Cathedral of the Desert and Davis Gulch noteworthy sites, but you will need to make sure you have sufficient fuel by getting some gas at Dangling Rope Marina on the way up and back.

That is all great info. Thanks. I'm going to go on the Navionics map to see if I can find all these landmarks and sites you guys mentioned. They're not on google maps.

[Isaguel]

Depending on how experienced you are with a houseboat, will determine where you'll want to park it. Well for your first trip, if it was me, I'd take the Castle Rock Cut into Warm Creek Bay and park it in one of the small coves at the Northeast end. From there you can explore all over. Warm Creek also has a floating restroom which is handy. Staying close by Warm Creek Bay, I'd head over to Labyrinth Canyon. The last horseshoe bend before turning south and crossing into AZ has a really cool rock that ramps up to the top. You can see it in Google Maps satellite. You can pick how high you want to cliff jump, from 1 ft to around 35 feet, depending on water level. It's a fun, tight canyon that you have to go wakeless through. If you're feeling really adventurous head up lake to Rainbow bridge. It's about 50 miles. You dock and then walk in about 1/4 mile. It's a nice arch and worth doing.....once. If the water is rough, forget about it. Antelope Marina has a nice restaurant right on the water. You can dock and walk right in.
Stay in the middle of the waterways as much as possible to avoid rocks. Go straight from buoy to buoy. Getting too close to shore will all but guarantee prop damage. I keep people in the bow who are always watching for rocks just under the water. It can go from 400' to 10' deep in just a couple feet. Keep an eye on the weather. The wind almost always picks up in the afternoons. If it gets to rough for you duck into a small cove and wait it out. Wake up early in the mornings and enjoy the glass.

Thanks for the info. Any good map sources that have all these sites you mention marked?. Looked in Google maps and Navionics and not there.

[Zog]

Thanks for the info. Any good map sources that have all these sites you mention marked?. Looked in Google maps and Navionics and not there.

The gold standard for Lake Powell point of interest maps is here:
https://boatersoutlet.com/stan-jones...map-laminated/

However, there are many maps online that can help you find these points of interest, including the official park service map.

[UNSTUCK]

Zog posed the one I use, but mine is not laminated. I just grabbed it from a marine store in Page a while back and it has served me well. I'd really like to upload the GPS mapping of the lake to show on my screen. Almost lost my hand held map in the wind a few times.

If you are interested in Escalante arm section, verify your map includes it. Some of the more popular ones do not include it.