Safe to float Santiam to Salem?

[tonym]

So I have access to a catamaran or personal pontoon boat thing. I was wondering if it would be safe to float from the santiam river at the rest area just south of salem to the west salem bridge? I only have paddles. I would also appreciate any tips on gear to float this stretch. I heard a worm with no weight was good for bass but I am really try to land my first steelhead.

 

[capblack]

i have never floated i5 to salem, but i would guess its mostly frog water. should be good to go, but hopefully someone else knows the water better, and will chime in. i think there are much better floats on the santiam if youre looking to get into some steel, especially this late in the season.

 

[C_Run]

Count on it taking you all day long. That is a long haul in a pontoon. Here's something to consider, the wind. It blows upstream in the afternoon. My wife and I paddled her tandem inflatable kayak from the Luckiamute bridge to Buena Vista about ten days ago. We intended to go to Independence but the wind was so strong we had to work like %%%% to get downstream in mid-afternoon and ended up aborting at Buena Vista because we didn't want to get there at midnight. I imagine a pontoon boat would be similar.

 

[JeannaJigs]

It's not a fun float this time of year, it's a good early season float. Jefferson to buena vista takes all day, don't know what's below buena vista, can't imagine it would be any better. Definitely better water higher up for steelhead on either fork.

 

[tonym]

How about albany to I5, and foster dam to albany? I'm a little worried about deep rapids since this would be my first float and I don't know whats out there.

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

Foster dam to Albany will be super long!

 

[troutdude]

There are at least two water hazards, that I know of on the South Santiam (from Foster to Albany). There is a waterfall at Waterloo; and a breakdam/spillway just east of Lebanon. I'd guess that you'd want to take out--and put back in--to get around those. It would also likely take more than a day to go that far.

Call the peeps @ Dan Dee Sporting Goods in Sweet Home...they can give you the scoop.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Foster dam to Albany will be super long!

and impossible!! LOL there's a dam at lebanon and the water is at such a low level it's essentially not navigable from pleasant valley to waterloo, 3 weeks ago it was hell on my boat and it's only lower. The only stretch doable is foster to pleasant valley. Also when it is navigable, the stretch from pleasant valley to waterloo is like 12 river miles and takes ALL DAY. Foster to albany if there were no obstructions, would take more than a day.

If you're new to boating oregon rivers, which it sounds like you are, you should research each river carefully before going.There was a book i was given that helped out with info about hazards on some of the rivers i float. Can't recall the name, and I no longer have it, but that said there's a lot of info if you search online.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Just read that it was your first float. Do you have any experience at all on moving water? if not, I strongly urge you to go with someone experienced. People get hung up on the water being high and fast and hazardous etc, but the rivers are more hazardous when they are low, and there are more obstacles and obstructions that otherwise would be underwater and not an issue. The rivers are all very low right now, and lots of care should be taken to float safely, and not outside your skill level.

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

Foster Dam to Pleasant Valley Bridge is very doable in a pontoon boat. I did it in my pontoon about 4-6 weeks ago i think it was. Mostly drift fishing water.

If your ever in the Eugene area and want to float the Mckenzie Or Willamette, let me know. Both floats are way better then the South Santiam from Foster to Pleasant Valley.

 

[tonym]

Pretty much the only experience I have is two days at hoover campground. I was looking for something within 40 mins of salem that could be done between 6am-9pm. I5 to Salem was the only float I could think of but I thought the water would move me faster. I might be able to get down to eugene at some point though.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Go with someone experienced your first time or two to get a hang of things. I can't recommend it enough. Crap happens quick and a nice float can go epically wrong in a second. Experienced boats go down every year on assorted rivers, but more often than not its the inexperienced boater running into dangerous situations.

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

Go with someone experienced your first time or two to get a hang of things. I can't recommend it enough. Crap happens quick and a nice float can go epically wrong in a second. Experienced boats go down every year on assorted rivers, but more often than not its the inexperienced boater running into dangerous situations.

Pontoons are a lot more forgiving then a drift boat though. It's best to float with another person anyways because of the shuttle situation. Good luck, if you decide to float the river. If the south santiam wasn't so far away id come up and float it with you.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Pontoons are a lot more forgiving then a drift boat though. It's best to float with another person anyways because of the shuttle situation. Good luck, if you decide to float the river. If the south santiam wasn't so far away id come up and float it with you.

started with an 8 ft pontoon. still shouldn't be floating solo without any experience in reading water and handling a boat in current. But that's my .02. People will do what they want.

 

[tonym]

What is the shuttle situation? I don't know anyone to float with near salem so maybe I'll just float down the willamete a few times for bass and put steel off till winter.

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

started with an 8 ft pontoon. still shouldn't be floating solo without any experience in reading water and handling a boat in current. But that's my .02. People will do what they want.

That's true now that I'm thinking about it more. If your a beginner I guess better advice would be to go troll a lake or pond first and get decent at rowing backwards. its nice to have a rod holder, you can troll flies or small lures easily if its not real windy.. This will help when your in some current on the river. What you want to do is point the back of your boat to where you want to go or face where you dont want to hit/go towards and row backwards.

 

[GraphiteZen]

Count on it taking you all day long. That is a long haul in a pontoon. Here's something to consider, the wind. It blows upstream in the afternoon. My wife and I paddled her tandem inflatable kayak from the Luckiamute bridge to Buena Vista about ten days ago. We intended to go to Independence but the wind was so strong we had to work like %%%% to get downstream in mid-afternoon and ended up aborting at Buena Vista because we didn't want to get there at midnight. I imagine a pontoon boat would be similar.

That's a nice float though! I do it all the time as I live just around the corner.

 

[tonym]

I'm good at rowing on a lake, I keep up with the people trolling when I put my back into it. Just fishing up the north santiam lately I've seen a lot of rough water I don't know how a catamaran would handle. I've already gone down once from not strapping my pontoon tight enough and that sucked on a lake. I can imagine being flipped in rapids is a real ****ed up situation to be in.

 

[MonkeyFist]

The book you want is Soggy Sneakers. Geared towards kayakers mostly but has good info on the NW waters.