Duck River Flow

[bd]

Last weekend we stayed at Henry Horton State Park.  I spent all my free time hiking and shooting at the trap range, so I didn't get a chance to fish.  However, I did look at the Duck River quite a bit from the trails.  I'm not really familiar with the Duck but I'm thinking about learning more about it in the upcoming year.

The flow of the river was faster than I expected.  Not as fast as the Caney on one generator, but still pretty quick water.  I thought it would be a lot slower, comparable to the Harpeth.

Was this just from the rain we had before the weekend, or does discharge from Normandy Dam significantly affect the current that far down?

Also, I'm thinking about returning to Henry Horton in the spring or summer to do a little smallmouth fishing.  Is that section of the Duck fishable in a Gheenoe with an outboard, or will it be shallow enough at low water that I'll need a canoe?  Also, is that a decent section for smallies or do I need to look farther upstream or downstream?

bd

[Bfish]

From a little while back, we were camped just upstream of HH:

http://trophyfishingtn.com/smf/index.php?topic=5004.0

Most everything from Milltown down, especially from Santa Fe and Centerville down can be floated in a gheenoe.  However, certain shoals may require some pushing at lower summer flows, more so up river.  Almost all shoals from Milltown downstream are gravel.  Above Milltown you will run into bedrock.   Watch the gages and you should be fine say above 500 cfs in Columbia (I believe it was about 1,000 last weekend).  Once it drops below 500 start to head downstream to Santa Fe and Centerville. This summer it stayed at 150 cfs for at least 2 months, canoe and kayak flows on the up river sections.

Here is a list of access points:
http://www.state.tn.us/twra/gis/DuckRiver.html

Most are just dirt areas, a few are paved ramps.  I don't know if you trailer your gheenoe but pretty much the paved ramps are in deep sections. 

[countryflyfisher]

Bd I grew up in columbia if you have any questions about the river just let me know if I don t  have the answers for a particular section I know the Guy that owns the only bait shop in Columbia and he will know.  I have mainly fished from the dam in columbia upstream to the old mill and from the dam to chicksaw trace I know those areas real well.