Looking for some insight mainly for boat safety. Not asking for anyones secrets baits. Coming down for my first visit next week. Having never been here is there any issues with running in this lake? It looks to be at full pool. Was curious if it was hazardous up towards the rivers? I don't have any buddies that visit here. So insight and safety has been limited.
Thanks for any info!
2014 Phoenix 920 pro xp / Merc 250 pro xs
Douglas is a good lake. As long as you have good mapping and keep an eye on your mapping and your depth you will be good. The thing with Douglas, especially as you get closer to the upper end, it starts getting more hazardous. Once you go under the train bridge at the very upper end (which is basically when you reach the “end” of Douglas) that’s when you really have to watch it. Keep it slower and keep your eyes split between your graph and the water and you can actually take a fiberglass boat a pretty good ways. You can go further up the French Broad side versus the Nolichucky side (it splits off two ways once you get to that area above the train bridge). Hopefully that helps in some way.
Also will mention, there are more old silos in the water towards that upper end as well and there are some scattered on a few other parts but they are usually visible and closer towards the banks so stay in the main channel if traveling at dark and you won’t have to worry about it. The one that is the most hidden at full pool is the one near the bridge at Dandridge.
Douglas is at summer pool. Not much of a problem to navigate the lake. Good mapping, IMO, is needed to run in the river. Not hard to do but without good mapping I'd stay down lake. I fish the river quite a bit and if you just stay in the river channel you won't have a problem.
We are all born ignorant but one must work really hard to remain stupid---Ben Franklin
I appreciate it guys!! I do have updated mapping. Also we are gonna take it easy fishing and running the first day or so. We are interested in trying up river from what we've read. We really appreciate the heads up. Good luck on the water fellas!!
2014 Phoenix 920 pro xp / Merc 250 pro xs
Was there at the end of April and had a good week fishing it, caught several every day.
Was that your first time? We are hoping for a first good trip. But I'll be glad to be fishing and not working
2014 Phoenix 920 pro xp / Merc 250 pro xs
Walters Bridge is a good place to launch if you want to fish the river.
We are all born ignorant but one must work really hard to remain stupid---Ben Franklin
Yes it was my first time there.Originally Posted by Jigflipper88
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