Water Depth Across the Sand Bar at White

[Striper Swiper]

Does anyone know if there is a channel across the sand bar from White to Trachyte? Seems like the volume of water from the river should create at least a shallow channel between them. Also wondering about the current speed, if there is a channel does it run hard hard?

I made the long drive through Blue Notch to fish GHB from my tailgate rig the week before Thanksgiving. Caught decent Srtipers and Walleye, but it's an hour and a half drive through the gauntlet to make that run. Would like to try a launch at White and navigate through the bar to Trachyte. I can run in 16" of water, but with my 55lb thrust electric motor may have trouble fighting a strong current.

Thanks

 

[John P Funk]

How do you plan on launching in White Canyon? I can see making the effort to drag a boat 200 yards around the corner to put in at Farley(depending on the boat), but it would have to be twice that distance or more to put in at White if you can get through the willows. I walked out to the point between Farley and White on Black Friday and I’m afraid your plan isn’t possible. The river is flowing straight into the mouth of White on the North side and then splits into three or four very shallow arms as it travels across, and then regathers on the south side. I took some photos and will try and post them to this thread. We didn’t fish on Friday, but we did see a shore fisherman with a good size striper leaving Farley.

 

[John P Funk]

There is no channel from Farley to the river. It would require a portage of another 200 yards to get a boat from one to the other. I can’t say how deep the river is because it is so muddy (always), but I would have to guess that it would run from 2’ to just a few inches(across the mouth of White.

 

[John P Funk]

Here are the photos:
#418 is looking across Striper City(sand bar) from the point between Farley and White. Trachyte is in the distance on the right, with the river flowing into the lake on the left(you can see the sandbar mentioned in another post where the river is entering the lake). In the foreground the river is flowing hard against the North bank into White Canyon.

#417 is from the same vantage point but looking across the mouth of White Canyon. You can see how the river is splitting and regathering on the far side. White Canyon(proper) is to the left. You can see that the transition between White and the River is very shallow.

 

[Squirrel]

Absolutely GREAT PICTURES. Squirrel

 

[Striper Swiper]

Thanks for the information and photos, I really appreciate your insight.

So much for that plan at current lake levels I suppose.

 

[Dano]

I guess it will be awhile before I motor into whites from GHB. Thanks for the pics and info! it's always a little scary crossing from stripper city into whites when you don't know exactly where the channel is and where the sand bars are.

 

[Dorado]

I too have been to chicken to cross that the few times I have been up there when the water was low, and you sure couldn't tell if there was a deep spot to cross. Just curious, is that really a "sand" bar? I would think it was a gooey muddy bar that would be very unpleasant to step into....

 

[Dano]

You're right Dorado. I don't believe it's really sand. It's silt brought down from the Colorado River. I got stuck on one in Piutte Farms bay once and it was like quick sand when I tried to stand on it to push my boat off. didn't think I would ever get off but finally backed off of it with the motor tilted way up and the motor revved way up. Very scary! The channel going into White Canyon this spring was all the way towards the southern bank. If you went straight across the middle it was much shallower. I did go both ways this spring before the lake began to drop. Don't think I'll be trying it next spring.

 

[hook up!!]

I too have been to chicken to cross that the few times I have been up there when the water was low, and you sure couldn't tell if there was a deep spot to cross. Just curious, is that really a "sand" bar? I would think it was a gooey muddy bar that would be very unpleasant to step into....

I too have been to chicken to cross that the few times I have been up there when the water was low, and you sure couldn't tell if there was a deep spot to cross. Just curious, is that really a "sand" bar? I would think it was a gooey muddy bar that would be very unpleasant to step into....

years ago we got stuck on a bar at piute farms took over 2 hrs to get free luckly another boat came by he cast a line to us I put a rope on it and he pulled us off the bar we only 20 ft from the channel was afraid to get out of the boat and push off and sink in gooey muddy bar

 

[John P Funk]

Just curious, is that really a "sand" bar?

You're right, it's more of a dirt bar. Once it dries out it's easy to traverse, but when it's wet it is very "sticky" and can be deep. Obviously as time goes by this layer of silt will grow deeper(whenever this area is the location where the silt drops), and we will see the separation of White/Farley from the main lake more frequently(unfortunately).

 

[Dorado]

Yeah, I was really amazed the first time I was up there, around 2013 when the lake was dropping after the big water year in 2011. The map said it should be like 100' deep, but the finder was reading 20'. It was the fishing map, which I am sure was taken from USGS quads from before the dam. A gigantic area is now covered in 80' of silt. The river channel will cut through those deposits, but the side canyons will just be more cut off each time the lake fills and drains.

 

[Mildog]

A friend of mine misjudged the channel heading into white early last year, he ran so far into the silt bar he got stuck very seriously, no way they could get it off. Like mentioned before the silt was like quicksand. He eventually had to call rescue boat from Bullfrog to get him off. Which it turned out was quite a chore even with the twin engine rescue boat. Best to be careful and proceed with great caution. Also $$$$$$ to get rescued...