Fort Wayne St. Joe River Depths and Boating…

[rainmaker]

Just wondering if anyone can tell me the general depths and safety of boating on the St. Joe River. I own a home on the river not far from Shoaff Park and have seen many boats on the river, some even up on plane cruising by.

I’ve got a 16’ aluminum fishing boat and would love to get to know the river for fishing on my boat. Anyone have a good read on where it’s safe, shallow, areas to stay away from, etc? I asked a boater who passed by one day and he mentioned it’s pretty good between a certain boat ramp and an overpass, but I really don’t remember which ones he was referring to. I would primarily stay up north around my house. Eventually I’d like to add a dock off my back yard, but that’s for another day. 

Any advice would be appreciated.

[kesdadddy7597]

I have personally never boated the river, but I have been told the stretch from Shoaff park north to the Mayhew Rd bridge is pretty navigable and decent bass fishing.

[Mac Attack]

Loved fishing the St Joe over the years.
Fished the dam in Constantine for walleyes and cats a few times.
Also, trolled a bit above the dam in my little 16' Mirrocraft - didn't get much up there but managed a few bass and some kitties.
Also trolled and float fished for steelhead in stretches from Berrien Springs all the way up to the lake in Benton Harbor.
Many times, when we couldn't get out on the lake, we trolled the river.
Did a little bank fishing too in the stretch from Niles to Buchanan - more kitties and bass.

My suggestion - Get a decent chart recorder and a Navionics chip.
That will give you enough to boat safely - relatively!!
You could also run things in record and plot your own stretches of the river to get things even more accurate.
Good luck.

[taxid]

Actually Mac he's referring to the St. Joe near Ft. Wayne Indiana. You are referring to the St. Joe in Michigan. Actually two different rivers. The St. Joseph River of Lake Michigan is an entirely separate river that rises in western Michigan, dips into Indiana, and flows west into Lake Michigan.

Water quality is different too. The Michigan St. Joe remains clearer and cooler with salmonid runs while the St. Joe in Indiana gets turbid a lot with farm runoff and can include algae blooms in summer.

[Mac Attack]

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[taxid]

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Just saw a recent picture of a river in Ft. Wayne Indiana (I think this one was the Maumee) and it's deep green with a massive algae bloom. The locals don't have a clue what that shows and how it can cause a fish kill if it gets intense enough. (In fish farming we worry about pond's fish if the algae bloom drops the clarity below 30 inches). And of course all of those run into Lake Erie and causes algae blooms there too.

[Mac Attack]

Just saw a recent picture of a river in Ft. Wayne Indiana (I think this one was the Maumee) and it's deep green with a massive algae bloom. The locals don't have a clue what that shows and how it can cause a fish kill if it gets intense enough. (In fish farming we worry about pond's fish if the algae bloom drops the clarity below 30 inches). And of course all of those run into Lake Erie and causes algae blooms there too.

Yup - aeration helps but doesn't eliminate it.
You would know best of course.

[Bassman19]

North of shoaff ramp you are safe up until the 469 bridge. Gets shallow under bridges, but can go up further once past mayhew bridge, but be careful. You are safe all the way down to the top of Johnny Appleseed Dam going down river. Deepest holes are down stream. Main river channel is 10ft. Channel catfish, crappie, smallmouth and largemouth bass, and northern pike. Wouldn’t call it world class fishing but they’re all in there, and giants of each species can be caught.