Looking for tips about boats on the mainstem Umpqua

[venetafisher]

In sorting out which trips I want to make this spring and summer, I'm thinking about hitting the Umpqua for smallmouth in June. I'd love to be able to use my boat (14' conventional aluminum, 16hp motor, and an electric trolling motor if that makes any difference) but know that some rapids on the Umpqua are a bit spicy for that kind of craft, and water levels may be too low in places. In looking at other threads here and at Google Earth, I'm looking most closely at launching and retrieving at the Sawyers Rapids Launch (not the RV park, but the county park on the south side of the river, and upstream of the rapids themselves) and fishing the mile and a half or two miles upstream to Bunch Bar and back. Any opinions on whether that's feasible on that stretch, and if not, is there a better place? Thanks in advance.

 

[Vintageflyguy]

You can look for frog water around Scottsburg - I would stay away from rapids with that boat the water can get real skinny

 

[jamisonace]

The launch you are referring to is the best spot for that boat but the launch will require a bit of work if the water gets much lower.

You can get into nice bass at the top of tidewater by launching downstream of the Scottsburg bridge.

 

[Bo Peep]

Agreed the launch you are referring to will work well, another is at River Forks you can put in there and fish down stream.