# Alum Warning Please Read



## bad-luck louie (May 22, 2005)

went over to Alum today(Thursday) with my boat. Every dock was well under water. I couldn't find any place to put my boat in. Unless you have a passenger, and a boat that can be completely driven off of the trailer and back on to the trailer without the aid of a dock stay away. Of course if you don't mind swimming you might be OK. No one, like an elderly person, or small child,who might have trouble balancing or walking should try it. I went to three different launch points, including the Marina. I also drove by the Dam and they are barely letting any water out at all, probably because of downstream flooding.


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## Juan More Fish (Apr 1, 2007)

I was thinking about going there tommrow.
But not now.


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## CLappert (Dec 2, 2004)

Did you try New Galena I belive the docks there are on posts and float up with the water level


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## T-180 (Oct 18, 2005)

The docks float, the ramp to the dock is under water. At Cheshire it was right at knee deep to get to the main dock or to the courtesy dock. Lots of debri floating around too. At least it's hot out & the water felt good.


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## Wolfhook120 (Oct 17, 2007)

Hmmmmm this could be ugly. Please keep everyone posted on the conditions and thanks in advance. I just read that Deer Creek is even worse. I'm guessing its the same just about everywhere. I hope its down by Sunday, at least enough to launch.


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

we put in at the marina today, i also drove by at looked at cheshire its the same as the marina, the docks float and are up out of water at both ramps, you just have to walk in the water on the ramp that goes to the dock for about 20 feet and the water is up just above your knees. you can still tie off your boat at the very end of the docks, especially no problem for two ppl. deer creek is jacked, they cancelled the tourny there on sat, word is the water is 12 ft above ramps and docks


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## Thick Rick (Feb 3, 2008)

At this very second, Alum is 2.4 feet above normal summer pool. However, Deer Creek is 13.4 feet above pool. Deleware is 7.6 feet above. And the worst, Paint Creek is 26 feet above.


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

It's not pretty. With many other lakes around at flood stage and above, Alum is holding water. The weather forcast calls for 15-25 mph winds today and a chance of rain tomorrow and Sunday. The water clarity is only going to get worse and the water level may come up even more. A boat can be launched, but it is tricky and then the fishing may or may not be so good. Be careful if you do go out this weekend.

CG


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## F1504X4 (Mar 23, 2008)

They are dumping quite a bit out of delaware right now, it should be down by sunday. They have Alum locked up except for a slow trickle, you can expect alum to probably rise a little more unless they start releasing soon, but with more rain expected it may be a bust for the weekend.


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## Oldcrow (Sep 4, 2007)

Just started releasing from Alum.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/oh/nwis/uv/?site_no=03228805&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00010


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Oldcrow,

73 cfs is not much of a release. In fact, I don't think it would change the lake level much at all. It might allow it to stop rising(even though it only rose .10" in the last 24 hours). 

They'll probably bump it up to 400, 700 or 1100+ when they are looking to drop the lake. With other area resevoirs really high though they might not do a major release for a few days. It's hard to say when really?

CG


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## marinescco (Aug 21, 2007)

I went out to Hoover and Delaware yesterday, and there wasn't anywhere to safely launch. Water was the highest I have seen in awhile. Hopefully we don't get too much rain this weekend, but who knows.


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## Oldcrow (Sep 4, 2007)

CG,

I totally agree with you on the cfs (lack thereof). I was expecting that to be the beginning of a ramp up. Up to 181 now, which is still low. It would be nice if they waited.


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## duckhound (Apr 10, 2004)

Still going...and going...and going
Almost to 600 now


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## Muskie Man (Aug 15, 2006)

we had trouble with wind and the high water but we still went out. all we had was a little 14 footer but we did have luck with the crappie. good size on slip bobber had no luck with Muskie.


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## jcrdust (May 24, 2004)

Went accross the cheshire bridge today while at work. The water at the ramps didn't discourage too many folks, I saw half a dozen boats both of my trips across. looked really choppy.


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## Juan More Fish (Apr 1, 2007)

Wheres the bait shop at?
Also is there a place where kids can jump from the boat to swim? \Have a phone number for the bait shop?


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## peterson.478 (Mar 17, 2008)

Cheshire Market is where I get all my tackle/minnows. Its located on the corner of Cheshire rd and Africa rd. (740) 548-6334 The kids will have optimal chances of swimming if you are launching a boat anytime soon. Tight lines.


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## ShakeDown (Apr 5, 2004)

Launched alone at Cheshire at 3pm yesterday....pulled up and a guy in front of me in a big cabin cruiser was launching solo...we both had the same "how are we going to do this solo" looks on our faces and decided to help each other out, and backed each other in. Bridged the gap between fisherman and pleasure boater 

Lake was high and muddy in spots (but not as bad as I was expecting) and had to wade in knee deep water to get from shore > docks. Crappie were on fire tho, and was catching them a bit farther off the bank (deeper) than I was earlier in the week. Same spots, just deeper.

Going back out tomorrow with Chopiq and his bro...should be interesting


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

haha, well they started dropping the water on friday eve so it should start to go down today, until then the kids would have been able to swim from the dock to the boat like everyone else has had top do the past three days...but you can run the boat down to the beach and park and they can swim there, also i think i seen a swimm bouy up in big run too, and not for sure but i have seen some ppl there swimming is above 36/37, dont know if there is a swim bouy though up there


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

I thought the east side cove just south of SR 36 was the boater's swimming area. Not, the little one right next to the road, but the big one down from that? I don't know really as I don't go there to swim.

CG


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## ShakeDown (Apr 5, 2004)

From what I can tell, the only designated boaters swim area on the lake has been moved to big run this year. Bouys all up and down big run designating it as "Boaters Swim". I'm thinkin they moved it due to the numerous drownings in the old area over the years?


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## onthewater (May 20, 2005)

So they move it to the middle of one of the more popular fishing areas? I saw the bouys back there too. Wasn't too crazy about it but, safety first, though it's still deep enough to drown back there.


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## Rainer Wolf (Apr 11, 2004)

was at Alum Sunday....Holy line at the ramp....cars waiting to get in or out clear to africa rd...fishing was tough. Greenies seemed spooky, tight, bites hard to comeby. No one caught any brownies. lotta fry.


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## F1504X4 (Mar 23, 2008)

AS far as the swim areas go, last i heard was that there is no longer a swim area north of 36/37. They moved it to Big Run, you can still swim in the cove just south of 36/37 on the east side. I saw the Watercraft guys up north the other weekend telling people about the swim area switch. They were saying that it was getting too out of control up north since it is a through way and Big run doesn't have "commuting" traffic, one way in and one way out. It kinda stinks for the fishing but i think it will be better in the long run. We'll just have to forget about fishing Big run when the day heats up and people want to swim.


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## Weekender (May 17, 2007)

Regardless of the high water level on the ramps, does anyone know if the ODNR or similar authority ever supervises the launching process? I was amazed at the confusion and borderline recklessness this past weekend on the Cheshire ramp. Is it as simple as educating the public better? I'm no expert and certainly would feel better about someone else explaining what a courtesy dock is for to Johnny Giant Baja. There's no excuse for the long lines if everyone took their turn and launched properly. Am I crazy?


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Weekender, there are some folks that go down to that boat ramp with a lawn chair for pure entertainment purposes. You'll get an hour's worth of laughs anytime after 11am this time of year. There are a LOT of clueless boaters on that lake in the summertime especially on the weekends.

CG


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## Wolfhook120 (Oct 17, 2007)

We had our club tournament there on Sunday and OMG what a cluster Galena ramp was! took us almost two hours to get our boats out so we could do our weigh in. Fishing was tough unless you had fish early. I ran north and saw that Chesire wasn't any better. Thank god I don't have anymore tournaments there this year. The grass is pretty much gone and it'll take awhile for it to come back.


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## Weekender (May 17, 2007)

I just found this post by SwollenGoat "Boat ramp launch/load - procedures & etiquette" here: http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=95574 Thank you SwollenGoat. I might just print a few of these out for those "awkward situations" and hand them out accordingly. LOL


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## supercanoe (Jun 12, 2006)

Ron White pretty much summed it up when he said "You can't fix stupid". You couldn't pay me to launch my boat at Alum on a summer weekend.


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

We tried to take out at Cheshire around 2 pm, waited about half an hour didn't move maybe 10 feet. the line for the ramp was all the way out to the road. Called shakedown and told him to run to Galena and I'd meet him therem withthe trailer. Galena was abd but not as bad as Cheshire. Started unloading at 2 got the boat trailered at 3:15.


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## mjgood (Nov 20, 2007)

We went in at Chesire around 7 am with no trouble. Had to wade 2 feet of water to get to a dock. When we came out a noon was I surprised. Seen one girl hit a 14' tracker hard in the bow that was tied to the dock. Another guy thought he was joe cool and gunned it coming of the trailer and hit the post on the end of the ramp with his 4winds prop. The wind was blowing in a everyone was drifting off trailers and bumping into each other. I would recommend using a ramp on the west side if there is any wind at all. What a cluster! I had never seen anything like this unless it was after fire works, walleye run or another event. I live around Grand Rapids on the river and we have a bunch of ramps and less weekend boaters.


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