San Juan River Trip Report July 6-11

[Bill Sampson]

I am just recovering back at work from my one week trip this year. As usual it was a great time. We battled some wind but usually found ways around it. Before I go too far, I think it would be a good idea to have the previous thread regarding tying up houseboat brought back up to the top. I had a good knot person on my trip, so this was not an issue, but it could have been. If I had one thing to look back on, it was that I was one experienced anchoring person short of having a good crew. I sent the anchoring crew ahead to the Great Band area, but they never got there. They returned saying there was no anchor locations there, so we anchored at Wilson Creek on the first finger on the right before you go into Wilson Creek. This is reasonably wind protected but narrow for a 65 foot houseboat. Overall it worked all right, but when we left the motors on the houseboat cut out intermittently creating issues in the wind, and damaging a houseboat prop. We don't fish on the San Juan, but the skiing, wakeboarding, and barefoot skiing was good. We definitely saw slurps up there. When we went up mid week to look at the Great Bend area, that is when the anchoring crew told me they never got up that far, even with the map I gave them. I would estimate that I boated 5 miles up Great Bend before the water became uncomfortably shallow. The lack of debris was great. On our last night, I put my judgement on the back burner and went to an anchorage they chose on Last Chance Bay, my second favorite pace on the lake. It had great boulders to tie the houseboat to, but poor protection to the West. It has been a great calm day there until 7:45 PM, and here came the wind and rain from the West. After a sleepless night, I brought back the boat Thursday morning. I will return next year and learn to stick with my better judgement.

 

[Pegasus]

Bill, how far is "5 miles up Great Bend" map wise? Is that around the horn of the bend? Also, in Wilson, were there other houseboats anchored? Just figuring out details for my trip in a week. Thanks, Doug

 

[Ryan]

Thanks for the report and the mention of the prop eating rocks. I wish you would have mentioned more about the crocodile and zombies. The San Juan is not for the faint of heart.

 

[PowellBride]

On the SJ now. Crocs and Zombies abound!!! 3 houseboats in Cha and one at the mouth of Wilson’s. Haven’t driven into Wilson or Shoot the Chute to see if other boats are in the canyon.

Fished the outside of Piute -LOTS of prop eaters in the area

 

[Tiff Mapel]

I'll bring my croc harpoon and my zombie shocker. The Trash Trackers are coming!!! We'll be up in the Juan starting on the 20th. Haven't been there since '09. If you see the trash barge, stop by and say hi.

San Juan or BUST!

Tiff

 

[PowellBride]

I'll bring my croc harpoon and my zombie shocker. The Trash Trackers are coming!!! We'll be up in the Juan starting on the 20th. Haven't been there since '09. If you see the trash barge, stop by and say hi.

San Juan or BUST!

We will still be on the SJ the 20-21st. We’ll look for you

Tiff

 

[Bill Sampson]

Bill, how far is "5 miles up Great Bend" map wise? Is that around the horn of the bend? Also, in Wilson, were there other houseboats anchored? Just figuring out details for my trip in a week. Thanks, Doug

I originally tried to get into the main area of Wilson creek, but there ere 3 other houseboats anchored there. There was also a large tent camp with jet skiers. We were almost at Zahn Bay when the water turned real gray and the floating debris arrived. If I was riding a jet ski, I would have attempted to go farther.

 

[PowellBride]

Bill, how far is "5 miles up Great Bend" map wise? Is that around the horn of the bend? Also, in Wilson, were there other houseboats anchored? Just figuring out details for my trip in a week. Thanks, Doug

Doug

Currently there is 1 houseboat in Wilson’s and 1 at the mouth. Doesn’t look to me like there are a lot of options at this water level. Shoot the Chute looks like it has more options right now

 

[cfulton]

Bill,
Are you sure it was Zahn Bay? The reason I ask is last fall (mid-Oct) I spent 3 days fishing in Spencer's Camp which is a couple miles below Zahn. The lake level was 3628' and I was fishing Spencers in 17-20' of water. The lake is currently around 3606'. BTW the fishing for stripers was fantastic. I'd catch 15-20 between 2.5-4.0# fat, sassy stripers in 2 hours. I go to the SJ every fall and fish the green water near the end of the lake. Stripers are in there chasing shad.....weather is great as is the fishing. Chuck

 

[Pegasus]

Doug

Currently there is 1 houseboat in Wilson’s and 1 at the mouth. Doesn’t look to me like there are a lot of options at this water level. Shoot the Chute looks like it has more options right now

Thanks for the info - where is Shoot the Chute? I thought I knew LP pretty well but have never heard of that location?

 

[Bill Sampson]

Bill,
Are you sure it was Zahn Bay? The reason I ask is last fall (mid-Oct) I spent 3 days fishing in Spencer's Camp which is a couple miles below Zahn. The lake level was 3628' and I was fishing Spencers in 17-20' of water. The lake is currently around 3606'. BTW the fishing for stripers was fantastic. I'd catch 15-20 between 2.5-4.0# fat, sassy stripers in 2 hours. I go to the SJ every fall and fish the green water near the end of the lake. Stripers are in there chasing shad.....weather is great as is the fishing. Chuck

I am not 100 percent sure. We did not have a visual on it.

 

[Bill Sampson]

Doug

Currently there is 1 houseboat in Wilson’s and 1 at the mouth. Doesn’t look to me like there are a lot of options at this water level. Shoot the Chute looks like it has more options right now

I agree with this. There were very few anchoring spots inside Wilson Creek.

 

[Raven Haven]

Thanks for the info - where is Shoot the Chute? I thought I knew LP pretty well but have never heard of that location?

Shoot the Chute is "The Author's" name for the first canyon immediately upriver from Wilson in the San Juan. Trash Tracker might be in there Friday.

 

[PowellBride]

Thanks for the info - where is Shoot the Chute? I thought I knew LP pretty well but have never heard of that location?

It’s the next canyon upriver of Wilson’s. Some maps call it Syncline

 

[cfulton]

A number of years ago we were going to Piute Bay in the SJ and just past Wilson I turned the helm over to one of the guys and went to the engine compartment for something. We had a 75' houseboat pulling two fishing boats. Silly me for thinking since he had been up the SJ a dozen times or so he'd know the way. When I sensed the canyon sides were closing in on us I finally looked up and he had driven us into Shoot the Chute (or whatever it's name) and we were full steam ahead less than 1/4 mile from the end. My scream is probably still echos in that canyon. It was a "goat rope" to get the HB turned around and going back out. That's my only recollection of that canyon except one evening I caught 2 stripers in there and gave them to some folks camped nearby because they'd been skunked. Chuck

 

[Meatwagon]

. My scream is probably still echos in that canyon. It was a "goat

Could this be the answer to the fabled tale of the screaming banchy of the SJ?

 

[Stork]

We just returned from the San Juan and there were more houseboats than I like to see there. Seems as if it is becoming more popular. There was less driftwood than any other year I can remember but we had to constantly pay attention or risk loosing a prop due to submerged rocks. There were fewer anchoring sites and the Wilson Creek area had fewer houseboats than I typically see in that area. I do like that there are fewer boats than other areas of the lake, but on our way out/back this year it seemed the rest of the lake had fewer houseboats anyway. The marker buoy at the entrance to the San Juan indicating no services beyond this point is gone. Anyone know if it was sunk or stolen?