Clear water - otsego float?

[marblei]

Hope one of you 'regulars' can give me an answer.... I stopped by the clear lake/clear water ramp today. With water levels the way they are, the ramp looked like a great access point. My question is: 1) has anyone floated from that ramp to say monticello, (hwy 25 bridge) 2)How long on average? (I understand higher water level, faster float) 3) is it worthe the float/time as far as fishing? I am VERY familiar with the Monticello / Otsego stretch, but north of Nuke plant.....NO CLUE...please let me know if possible...
thanks in advance!

[RiverRunner]

I floated from Clearwater to Snuffys landing in Becker in June. That float trip took about six hours. Floating from Clearwater to Monticello would take you about 10 hours I would guess. Becker to Monticello is a nice float trip takes about 3 to 4 hours. The Clearwater area is not near as good for bass as the Becker to Monticello area is in my opinion.

[marblei]

Thanks for the tip!! Much longer than I guessed...poses another question though...where do you get to becker landing, and is it good enough to land a boat???? Thanks again...

[HawgTide]

The Becker landing is about as rough as it gets. It looks good at first, but there is just not enough angle. Last year I tried landing there. I had to drive out in the water about 30 yds. I had a roller type trailer, so I just stopped there and pushed it off because I didn't want to back any further into the water. It is really rocky there too. I assume you are using an aluminum boat, otherwise, not a good idea. With the high water, it may be easier than I just described. The fishing is good on that stretch, with lots of rocks and riffle areas.

[marblei]

Thanx Ht for the info...sounds like I will check it out b4 trying to launch...(if i knew how to get there...???)
I do have a 17' john with an outboard jet...should float down ok....but a "bunk" trailer..(with mylar strip on bunks)..so not real hard to get off, but much easier if i can float the boat...

[BigMike]

Marblei - when you planning on heading out on your float? I may be wading the becker launch area tomorrow. I'm still tossed up on Becker or Monti. With the water up, you may be in business and especially if you have a jon. Ebass was able to make up up through the montissippi stretch with his jon and 25hp (barely, but made it). That was before all the rain.

[marblei]

Big Mike,
I was planning on this week end, Sat. the 25,but.....'other things' came up....I'll prob. just hit my home stretch a couple times this week. I can easily get 10 miles + with water level up, and always do well...not sure Ill get to the becker thing this fall yet or not...time, weather, and water level will prob. determine that....Hope you did good this week end.....(atleast you were fishing it sounds like!!)

[BigMike]

Marblei - did you get out this last weekend? How did you do?

You live on/by the river - how does the water level look (gauged by the rock )? Is the water clearing up at all? I can deal with stable high water, but in my opinion, the water clarity is the biggest factor right now.

[marblei]

Big Mike,
The 'rock' is under...waaaaayyyy under...In other words, the water is extremely high. I was going to go out yesterday eve, but it looked like the rain was moving in quickly, so I gave it a miss. The water clarity is not very good either. Better than a week ago, but still quite 'Murky'. Working all week end, so wont be able to get out this week end either!

[jigginjim]

New to this area i have 17ft ranger tiller,
how high and can i use the ranger for fishing from monti up to the nuke plant?

[BigMike]

Hey Jim
I would definitely advise not taking the ranger (even if it is a tiller) out on monti section! That section is VERY shallow! Fiberglass would be asking for major issues! I was out with Ebass in his jon w/25 shallow drive merc and we barely made it in the main channel - if we got out of the channel we were having to push pole it back into the deeper section - and when I say deeper, I'm talking 2-3feet (mix in boulders = a long trip up river).

The water has been up a bit but it's been coming down in Monti for the last week.

One option for you: you may be able to fish a 1/4-1/2mi section if you launch at the trailer park and fish directly across from there (it's deeper - but don't get too far south or you'll be in trouble).

My advise if you have fiberglass try out Elk River, Anoka, or farther north. Monti is just too shallow !

[fishface5]

Jim W. Look for dams. Put in as close to the upstream side of your chosen dam as possible and head upstream. Watch your locator CLOSELY. Slow down, pick your way as far up as you dare, and work your way down. Slip as slow as you can with your electric. You'll catch fish. Don't start shallow and work deep unless you have a car parked down stream incase you crackup the L.U. and can't get back up. Don't forget which way the current moves.

[Mark Christianson]

Fiberglass+Monti=Disaster

[EBass]

A Ranger boat could be used in the Anoka area. From 169 south to the Coon Rapids dam. I don't recommend going anywhere else except MPLS and Pool 2 on south. It's too risky and I'd hate to see ya put a big ol hole in the ranger.

Another option would be St Croix above Taylor Falls. Nice section, deep water for a few miles.

[Hoffer]

We were up by Monti today. We have fished the stretch from North Monti to the power plant many times and from downtown Monti South. Today we didnt venture very far South at all - because it gets real shallow for awhile about 1 mile downstream or so. We didnt even think of trying the stretch from Monti to the power plant and beyond - like the previous posts said - just too shallow there now. I have a 16 foot Lund Rebel and today we had the depth finder reading as low as 1.4 feet deep - but we never bottomed out. Been fishing the monti North area for a long time and unless it is early Spring I wouldnt bring any boat up there bigger than mine - unless it is a Riverpro or something like that.