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Is a depth finder necessary for Powell?

MrHooly

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My father seems to think fixing the depth finder on the Lavey is of dire importance. I'll be driving it behind a houseboat rental for a week and I'm sure we'll be using it to figure out where we beach the houseboat for the night and whatnot, aside from the usual driving it and towing a tube. I haven't been to Powell in a very long time, but I fail to see how not having a depth finder will result in us DEFINITELY destroying the prop as he seems to think. We do have a backup.
 

Marios Metalworks

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It’s nice to have but won’t save you. Idle in and use the pole 👌

You can always temp mount it when needed.

edit: do a quick little search here and you’ll find a whole bunch of threads full of some good Powell knowledge. Reading through them will do ya good!
 
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Good Stuff

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Honestly the hazards at Powell will come up out of nowhere. Just gotta really keep a watchful eye. It’s not like it steadily decreases in depth enough to be able to spot with a depth finder unless you have some kind of sonar/fish-finder depth setup. But I hate having anything that isn’t working on the one thing that could be a lifeline if you had to transport an injured person at night or get out to a place where you could call for help. Probably an overpreparer and there are worse kinds of people 🤣
 

DarkHorseRacing

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You're going to find underwater "mounts" in the craziest places, both near and far from shore, and there is no warning whatsoever. In my time at Powell, we used to explore bays with jet skis and I stopped at plenty of these little underwater mounts that were absolutely crisscrossed with prop blade marks and large dings from taking a skeg off that people drove over. I could stand on them with water up to my ankles, or almost to the knees.

While a depth finder is nice, it wont help you for those. It will help you for some bays that are lower than usual, but then the water color ought to warn you as well.
 

TITTIES AND BEER

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No 😎 never used one , if running at beer speed ( I won’t spill a drop ) 😎 55 mph +-your kool
 

77charger

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By the time your damn depth finder shows its shallow you would have found out.Maybe avoid powell its low and ramps suck go to havasu plenty of water its full and you look coooler sitting in the channel just go put your ez up early fri and leave it til monday it saves your spot.
 

Nanu/Nanu

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It's not a must I don't even have one at all. Knock on wood.

Powell is the main lake I go to
 

Rondog4405

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It would make things interesting. . Never had one on any of my previous boats.the newer lavey one. Pretty cool.to see where your sittin..
 

jet496

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By the time the depth finder tells you you’re in trouble it’s too late. Stay in the middle, don’t cut off corners going around rocks. Stay in the channel markers. Very slow when pulling into beaches
Yea, hopefully they stay on top of marking the obstacles as they start reaching the waterline. I almost hit one at night while cruising at a pretty decent clip (Lake Meade), full boat & kids in the open bow. It still haunts me because it was a rocky point barely poking it's head out of the water & probably could have killed some of us. This was in the middle of the lake even, entering Echo Bay, not where you'd expect it. Luckily I had a million candlelight spotlight & happened to spot it in nick of time. I drive real slow at night now! That was irresponsible of me (young & dumb), but not anymore.

The depth finder wouldn't have helped & won't serve you much purpose other than how interestingly deep the depths are.
 
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Blackmagic94

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Unless you buy a new simrad none of the depth finders broadcast in front of you but only below and guess what. You already hit that
 

J DUNN

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1. Stay between red and green bouys while traveling on the lake.
2. Go slower when you're outside the bouys until you know where the shallow spots are.
3. Use water color in FRONT of you to see shallow spots, this doesn't work as well in cloudy weather. Also doesn't work on the SIDE of your boat as you'd already have hit ground if you see shallow right beside you.

I use out depthfinder but it's not a must. My brother has a depth finder and had no problems taking out his prop last year. 😂
 

stephenkatsea

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J Dunn’s suggestions are all good. I would add using a PWC to scout an area. Also, a chart of the lake which shows water depths and bottom contours. The Fishin’ Maps can be a good tool. Of course, expect all previously published depths to be more shallow this year.
 

JD D05

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I find it useful going way up canyons that are merky etc. Went to the end of the Escalante and was able get into a nice area that I thought was shallower.
 
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