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Black Warrior-Tombigbee River Stops
Compiled by Mike & Mary Hall, onboard their 42’ Present Trawler "What Daze It?"
The Black Warrior-Tombigbee Lake system is home to six beautiful lakes. They include Bankhead, Holt, Oliver, Warrior, Demopolis, and Coffeeville. The lakes stretch from the headwaters near Birmingham, AL, south through Tuscaloosa and Demopolis. Below Coffeeville, the river flows at sea level to Mobile and the Gulf of Mexico. If you want to spend every night in a marina, then this river trip is not for you. If however, you wish to cruise one of the few remaining undiscovered rivers, you’d better jump on this opportunity. The Black Warrior runs for 213 miles from Demopolis to the head of navigation on the Mulberry Fork. The Warrior is a great place to get away from the Gulf Coast Hurricane season and accompanying painful insurance premiums. While there, you can’t help but notice Alabama football, enjoyed from the Old Lock # 12 Park at Mile 340.6 on the University campus. The people you meet along the way are very good at keeping the idea of southern hospitality alive and well! Make sure you get the US Army Corps of Engineers Aerial Photos of the Black Warrior-Tombigbee, available through http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/PA/charts.htm Remember that this information should not be relied upon solely for navigation. The prudent skipper will use other information, charts and on-water knowledge to make decisions about the suitability of any stop. The proximity of your vessel to passing commercial traffic may make anchoring in certain spots uncomfortable to some skippers. Use your own judgement, and ask the commercial tow captains for their advice. Contact us at
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Note: LDB = Left Decending Bank; RDB = Right Decending Bank
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Mobile Pool (Bankhead Tunnel Mile 0, to Coffeeville Lock Mile 116.6)
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Location
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Mile
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Comments
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Tensas River Cut-Off
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12.1
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LDB at mile 12.1, can anchor anywhere, may go up 1 mile to Big Briar Creek, current here. Hurricane hole for Mobile boaters.
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I-65 Bridge Sandbar
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21
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LDB at mile 21.0 is a decent, small sandbar, the only one within 60 miles.
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David Lake
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41.4
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RDB at 41.4, hold center in entrance is 6' deep, move to rt side for 0.3 mile, then back to center. Barge repair facility with barge fleeting inside Lake. Best anchorage is 0.9 mile in, in 7' water.
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Alabama River
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45
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LDB at mile 45. Prettiest sandbars anywhere at mile 11, 16, 18 and 20. Ala River Cut-off at mile 10 now impassable on Alabama River side. Little commercial traffic.
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Bates Lake
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54
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RDB at mile 53.9, shoal at mouth can be <4', deepens as you move in. Private ramps and fish camps at head of Lake.
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3 Rivers Lake
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64
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RDB at mile 63.9. Narrow entrance channel 0.4 mile long, holds 6' depths. Widens where 3 old river channels meet, depths vary from 8 to 30'. Very pretty setting, private property.
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Sunflower
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78.5
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LDB from mile 79 to mile 78 has a row of nun buoys, in the wide straight you can anchor bow & stern just beyond the nuns in 7' of water. Barges can see you well in this straight-a-way. Gravel bottom and banks nearby.
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Old Lock # 1
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100
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Fine off-river stop, LDB at mile 99.9. Subject to shoaling, Corps dredges periodically to maintain 8-9 foot depths. Old Lock & Dam structures remain 0.5 mile in, public boat launch with restrooms and trash cans 0.4 miles in, anchor bow & stern in center about 0.25 mile in 7' of water.
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Coffeeville Pool (Mile 116.6 to Demopolis Lock Mile 213.4)
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Location
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Mile
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Comments
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Bobby’s Fish Camp
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118.8
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RDB at mile 118.8, boat launch, undeveloped dock, fuel.
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Turkey Creek
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120.7
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RDB at mile 120.7, had been blocked by trees, now clear.
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Tallawampa Creek
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125.7
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RDB at mile 125.7, boat launch, 3.5' at entrance, continue past launch via 3.5' channel to nice wide lake with 6' depths.
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Bashi Creek
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145
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LDB at mile 145, public launch just inside creek with small dock and trash cans. Creek is narrow, but holds 6'. Can go in about 100 yards and anchor bow & stern. Nice small sandbar across river from Bashi Creek.
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Old Lock # 2
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168.5
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Strategic LDB anchorage at mile 168.5, small indentation in bank with 15-20'depths, anchor & tie stern to tree. Public ramp across river at mile 168.6. Dinghy down to Ezell's Fish Camp at mile 165 RDB for good catfish dinner.
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Demopolis Pool (Mile 213.4 to Selden Lock Mile 261.1)
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Location
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Mile
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Comments
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Foscue Creek
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214
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LDB at mile 214.0, 5' at mouth, channel marked, USCG buoy tender "Edge" docked here. Nice well maintained park. Pick small nook or cove, anchor & tie stern to tree.
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Demopolis Yacht Basin
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216.1
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Full service marina on LDB, last fuel stop until Holt Lake at mile 348 on the Black Warrior River.
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US Hwy 43 Bridge
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219.1
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For sailboats, you will find this is likely to be the controlling fixed height between Mobile and Tuscaloosa. Expect to find around 57’ at normal low water. Be very cautious if the river level is above NLW. The Hwy 14 Bridge at mile 265.3 is around 58' at NLW. |
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Big Prairie Creek
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231
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LDB at mile 231.0, large creek, shoals to 5' at mouth, 10' inside. Bucks Restaurant 0.5 mile in on north bank of creek, open Th, Fr, Sa, Su. Bottom is very soft mud, difficult to set most anchors.
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Selden Lock to Damsite
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261.1
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Downstream of Selden Lock, can follow the oxbow bend 5 miles up to the damsite. No commercial traffic this way, flow is present, could anchor anywhere along the oxbow. Public launch just below the damsite on RDB.
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Selden Pool (Mile 261.1 to Oliver Lock Mile 337.4)
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Location
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Mile
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Comments
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Jennings Ferry
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263.9
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LDB at mile 263.9 is entrance channel to off-river public launch know to locals as Robucks Landing. Shoals at mouth to 3', quickly deepens to 10' back to launch.
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Big Brush Creek
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266.4
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LDB at mile 266.4, holds 10' at mouth and well inside creek. Beware of stumps protruding 1' from water in the nook south of the entrance, area popular with local fishermen.
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Old Lock # 8
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277.8
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Excellent stop, LDB at 277.8, this is the old lock channel. Enter the downstream end (the upstream end may have snags present), go beyond the public launch, anchor bow & stern in 7'. Attractive camphouses line the shore, public restrooms and trashcans at launch site.
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Old Lock # 9
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293.2
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RDB at 293.2, in a pinch, could tie to wooden pile just downstream of the overgrown Lock # 9 wall. From here, is 55 miles and 2 locks to marinas on Holt Lake.
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Sandbars
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324 to 334
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From mile 324 to mile 334 are about 10 of the prettiest sandbars anywhere. If commercial traffic is not in the area, nose up to the bar and enjoy!
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Oliver Pool (Mile 338 to Mile 347)
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Location
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Mile
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Comments
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Old Lock # 12
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340
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LDB, This is Riverwalk Park East on University of Alabama property at the intersection of Jack Warner Parkway and Hackberry Lane, a beautiful park. Go here for memorable watergate raft-up parties during Alabama Football home game weekends!
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Holt Pool (Mile 347 to Bankhead Lock Mile 365.2)
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Location
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Mile
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Comments
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Hide-a-Way Harbor
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347.3
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LDB, marina with travel-lift and repair facility.
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Mooring Ball
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347.4
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Mooring can on RDB, just above Holt Lock.
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Eagle Cove Marina
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348.3
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LDB, marina with long term and transient space, gas.
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Mooring Ball
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351.2
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Mooring can on RDB, just above Rocky Branch Park.
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Davis Creek
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361.4
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LDB, nice creek for dinghy exploration, careful, many snags and stumps inside mouth of creek. Soft bottom, poor holding. Tie off bow & stern. Pretty, 3 miles in, clear water, there is a set of rapids and swimming hole.
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Bankhead Pool (Mile 365.1 to Mulberry Fork Head of Navigation Mile 430)
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Location
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Mile
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Comments
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Big Indian Creek
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365.3
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LDB, mooring ball 3/4 mile in (reported missing, 2007), past bridge, pretty setting, careful of low telephone cable on one side of creek.
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Yellow Creek
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367.5
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RDB, largest creek in area, is still 20' deep 4 miles in, mooring ball 1 mile in (reported missing 2009).
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Kings Camp
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368.5
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LDB, "The Point" gas, grill, bar.
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Lighthouse Marina
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371
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RDB, weekend restaurant, gas.
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Camp Creek
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373.3
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LDB, mooring ball 1/3 mile in.
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Smith’s Camp
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377.8
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LDB, gas, be aware, all these gas stops may be seasonal
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White Oak Creek
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377.8
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RDB, gas dock, small sandbar further in.
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Walker County Shoal Creek
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378
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RDB, prettiest creek in the area, nice rock formations.
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Franklin Ferry Marina
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380.6
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RDB, marina closed unless you know one of the renters
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Short Creek
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381.6
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RDB, mooring can 1/2 mile in.
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Lost Creek, Mulberry Fork of the Warrior
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392.2
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RDB, large creek, many houses, pretty scenery, can go in almost 3 miles. This is the northernmost anchorage before Sipsey at mile 430.
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Horse Creek
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411
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LDB, scenic stop w/ railroad trestle, beware only 3’ deep!
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Sardis
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421.5
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RDB, "Jean's on the River" restaurant with small dock.
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Blackwater Creek
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422.4
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RDB, cold, clear creek, 59 degrees in summer.
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River Narrows
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428
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River narrows from here on, snags prevalent, especially along banks, keep sharp eye. When releasing water from Smith Dam, the river is cold (low 60’s) and clear.
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Sipsey
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429.5
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LDB, public boat launch, gas station & convenience store, good wide spot here to anchor or turn around for large boat.
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