Lake Decatur - good for boating & fishing?

[minnesotacat]

I am looking for an update on Lake Decatur. Looking at lake homes and there is one on Lake Decatur we really like. However, I am concerned about the lake since we love to boat and I want to take up Bass fishing again. My wife starts getting concerned cruising when the depth finder drops to 10' and below because she thinks we are going to hit something. We run a 21' Chaparral and have thought about upgrading to a 24'. Do you think we will have boating problems on this lake now due to shallow depth or has it continued to improve?
Will I be fairly happy with fishing or is there just not enough ground cover?

 

[racerone]

If you can afford a 24' boat you can afford the latest in electronics.----Get a GPS / moving map unit.-----Tells you exactly where your boat is and where the rocks are.-----And more important where there ARE NO ROCKS.-----Looked at the chart and I would think GPS is a MUST have item.

 

[minnesotacat]

That is a good tip I will consider for any lake.
Besides the GPS idea, I am interested in any input about Lake Decatur for boating and fishing.

 

[dingbat]

That is a good tip I will consider for any lake.
Besides the GPS idea, I am interested in any input about Lake Decatur for boating and fishing.

Says average depth is 6 feet
Looking at the map, that figure is skewed by a couple of deeper spots.
Looks like most of the lake is 4-5 feet or less

i-Boating : Free Marine Navigation Charts & Fishing Maps

 

[minnesotacat]

Ouch

 

[briangcc]

I can boat in 2' of water with my 19' Chap. I do have to trim the drive up a bit. Anything shallower and I risk hitting stuff - either with the outdrive or the hull.

At 4', as long as you're not doing really hard/deep hole shots I wouldn't see an issue. Going bigger though, you very well may need more water under her.

And here's my $0.02 US....if its shallow now, wait a year or two as it will more than likely be shallower. So if depth is a concern, it may be a case of whether or not you get your boat to the dock before it beaches itself in years to come.

Just have to look out West where lakes that were once deep, are drying up at a very quick rate.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

Shallow lakes don't need much wind to get rough.

 

[mr 88]

Under those circumstances I would be looking at a jet drive boat , Yamaha comes to mind . Or a outboard converted to jet drive . As far as fishing goes , probably a Facebook page on Lake Whatever Fishing group.

 

[racerone]

He speaks of a 24' boat likely draws 2 to 3 feet.------Just need to be careful or perhaps a pontoon boat.-----Fishing is always good.----The catching not so much in these crowded waters.