Launch/Boating at Grand Forks

[diadromous]

I haven't been out to the grand forks area yet and it is on my list for this season along with catching some sturgeon. I am just wondering what boat access is like, is there a decent place to launch? I have an older 16ft trihull with an outboard and am curious as to whether or not I can safely use it on the river? I am assuming by the pictures that I have seen of the area that the river looks sufficiently deep for an outboard but just want to be sure before I make the plans to drive out there from Calgary. Also is there a good campground close by? Any information is appreciated, thanks.

[Kingfisher]

If your fishing the Kettle River out there I would not use a motor. The river is very shallow in places and you will bottom out with that boat. The other rivers out there like the Grandby are way too shallow to put anything in there other than a pontoon boat or an inflateable. I have floated both rivers in my inflateable.

There are some great lakes in that region that you could launch your boat at like Christina Lake.

Cheers,
Rob

[diadromous]

Good info, thanks Rob.

[Dale S]

You can launch that boat at the forks but you can't leave the area.I've done it lots,but all three rivers are shallow as soon as you leave from in front of the island.Other than that the rest of the rivers all three ways are jetboat access only.We were out on the Oldman today the water is as low as I've seen it in three years. We touched bottom a few times.There is a general camping area there,it gets busy on the weekends.

[Timberj]

The Kettle river is out near Grand Forks, BC.....the Forks are located near BowIsland Alberta..... might want to make sure where you want to go as the advise you have gotten so far are referring to different spots. Timberj

[diadromous]

Perfect, that is the info I was looking for, thanks Dago, and thanks for the clarification Timberj.

[troutmountain]

the forks have changed since the floods so it is tough to launch a trailered boat right at the mouth. The first campsite area along the oldman you can maybe put in on that gravel bar but it doesn't drop off for a while. There is a spot upstream on the oldman that we launched on. Make sure you have a 4x4 or you will be stuck. The shallowest spot is just before the mouth where there is a stretch of water that is a couple feet deep for about 500m. The mouth area has some good depth. We didn't explore up the bow or further down the ssr. Very nice area will be back this fall for sure.