# Shoal River in Okaloosa County



## FishWalton

Went to Shoal River today and launched at the hwy 90 ramp just east of Crestview. I knew the river was very low but wanted to just check it out. It was too shallow to do much fishing. Outboard was dragging bottom much of the time. The river does produce some decent fishing for bass and bream when it's at a better level. This was my first trip. The catch was poor, but I caught my first mullet on a hook. Weather was really nice. Wish there had been a couple feet more water. 

It's a great river for canoe's and yak's. Plenty of sand bars for breaks, swimming, etc.


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## Fish Assassin

*Shoal River*



fishwalton said:


> Went to Shoal River today and launched at the hwy 90 ramp just east of Crestview. I knew the river was very low but wanted to just check it out. It was too shallow to do much fishing. Outboard was dragging bottom much of the time. The river does produce some decent fishing for bass and bream when it's at a better level. This was my first trip. The catch was poor, but I caught my first mullet on a hook. Weather was really nice. Wish there had been a couple feet more water.
> 
> It's a great river for canoe's and yak's. Plenty of sand bars for breaks, swimming, etc.


May be the most polluted sorry river in the panhandle. If you eat the mullet you caught, you are nuts. Go to Yellow River (Guest River Boat Launch - ask around Holt) and work upriver. Lead line and Cawtaba worms.


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## FishWalton

Would be interested in knowing your source for pollution information of Shoal River. We never see anything about this in the news. Never heard of it. There is no industry in the upper end where I went nor farm run off. It's used a lot by swimmers just upriver from the hwy 90 launch.

No one is fishing there now due to low water but when there is water it is fished a lot. I just never have been over there until yesterday. 

Think I know the general area of Guest River Launch. Will check it out soon.


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## lingfisher1

I would like to see a picture of a mullet you caught in that part of Shoal River. I used to fish that river every weekend and never saw a mullet. You sure it wasn't a sucker. We used to catch the hell out of them above and below th 90 bridge.


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## FishWalton

I think you are right on it being a sucker. Didn't think about that at all. It was lighter in color than the mullet I'm used to. It was about 10 inches or so long. I do have a picture on camera but had some trouble with it yesterday and can't get the pictures to download to computer. Will try to solve the problem. 

I visted the Guest River Launch today. Nice parking area and picnic table but the launch is just sand and for small boats. Its washed out somewhat from rain. I can get mine in there and will give it a try next Tuesday. I should have taken the boat this afternoon but wanted to make sure I could find the place first. 

The river is smaller there than I expected. Water was very low and hardly moving. Not swift like the Shoal River and color was different. It's about 45 miles from where I live. 

Thanks for the info. Will post a report on trip next week.


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## lingfisher1

If yuu were at the right one it is actually Guest Lake. The run out to the river is almost directly across from the ramp. Some pretty good fishing in that part of Yellow river.


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## FishWalton

There was a sign there with the name. Large dirt parking lot and several covered picnic sheds. Didn't realize there was a run to the river but will check it all out next week. Will take a look at Google Earth and see what they have. 
There was one small trailer there today. Must have had a small boat.


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## FishWalton

*Landing*

Here is a Google Earth photo of the landing


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## lingfisher1

That is fo sho the place. You can see in the pic the narrow run that goes out to the river. If you stand on the boat ramp and look straight accross it just looks like a little pocket cut back in the bank but as you can see in the pic whenyou enter the run you go to your left and head out to the river. They may be winding down now but we use to catch alot of warmouth in the lake and in the river this time of year. Also good catfishing out in the river on the outside eadge of the bends in the darker holes.


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## Framerguy

Yeah, the Shoal isn't the cleanest river on the Panhandle but it isn't the dirtiest either. I live up on the hill on the C'view side of the bridge and kayak often upriver from the bridge when I want to get some exercise!! I paddle upstream until I can't paddle anymore and then drift back to the ramp and drag my tired butt out and go home! 

The current is worse when the water is normal or higher and I can paddle for an hour upstream before my "motor" runs out of gas. It only takes me less than a half hour to drift back to the bridge, that's when the current is running at full bank. That first sandbar above the bridge is loaded with swimmers and sun bathers in the summer.


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## FishWalton

Right now the Shoal is really low. My motor did a lot of sucking sand. The new impeller is not new anymore. The "deep" holes were only about 3 to 4 feet deep and many only 2 to 3 feet. It's great right now to sand bar picnic. The bar just north of the bridge is littered with bottles and junk. People just don't care what they do to the environment.


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## SLICK75

fishwalton said:


> Right now the Shoal is really low. My motor did a lot of sucking sand. The new impeller is not new anymore. The "deep" holes were only about 3 to 4 feet deep and many only 2 to 3 feet. It's great right now to sand bar picnic. The bar just north of the bridge is littered with bottles and junk. People just don't care what they do to the environment.


Those people just walk up from the bridge and their only concern is the next blunt they fire up or how many beers they can down before the sun goes down. Thats why I have all but quit fishing that stretch of river. I have gotten to the point I would rather drive an hour to Choctawhatchee on Hwy 20 than drive the 10 minutes to the Hwy 90 landing. Cant use Hwy 85 because the boat ramp is now too shallow to wet the bottom of my boat before hitting the stop-blocks at the end of the ramp thanks to the county piping the water to the south end of the county. I hope they choke on it.
Guest Lake is ok but I have no idea where to go once I hit the river. Theres another ramp for Yellow River over in Harold but the ramp is so steep Im always afraid my transmission will bust the Parking gear while Im loading or unloading and Id wind up having to fish my truck out of the river.


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## FishWalton

Fish Assissin suggested go up-river, so will give that a try. Also suggest a lead line and catawba worms. I don't have either but sure wish I had some of those "tawbers". 

Since Comanders Landing on the Choctawhatchee has been undergoing a complete re-do for weeks I have been trying new waters just to expand my knowledge on other waters. Haven't done all that good but new waters always require several trip to learn the spots. It' take time.


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## SLICK75

I only live a mile or so off the river in Dorcas but the Hwy 90 bridge is my closest boat ramp. A few years ago I put in there and came all the way to where Pond Creek dumps in almost at the county line but my boat doesnt do too good above Hwy 393. Its so stumpy and my 35 hp Evinrude has a long shaft so gets pretty bumpy. If you can get there, theres good fishing, very few people go that far up but with my 35 its only about a 30 minute trip, including navigating shallows and fallen trees.
Let me know if you find any catawba worms. I have a small tree in my back yard but havent had worms on it in years. We have horses in the yard so the county sends a truck out once a week through the summer to spray for mosquitoes and that kills the lunar moths that lay the catawba worm eggs. Ive been considering planting another tree further back on the property to see if I can get some to survive.


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## FishWalton

I have been up t the Dorcas bridge on 393 when the water was higher.WAs just looking around and not fishing. But do want to try again when water higher. Will sure give a look-see north of the bridge to see how far I can go. I have a jon boat and short shaft kicker.

I don't have any source for catawbas. They are hard to come by unless you have yur own trees or know someone.


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## -WiRtH-

lingfisher1 said:


> That is fo sho the place. You can see in the pic the narrow run that goes out to the river. If you stand on the boat ramp and look straight accross it just looks like a little pocket cut back in the bank but as you can see in the pic whenyou enter the run you go to your left and head out to the river. They may be winding down now but we use to catch alot of warmouth in the lake and in the river this time of year. Also good catfishing out in the river on the outside eadge of the bends in the darker holes.


 
You can still get a good number of warmouth in the early morning and late afternoon, which is mainly when i fish. Also +1 on the catfish! I'm going to head out there tomorrow night!


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## jcoss15

I live in crestview and bass fish on shoal and yellow all the time, mainly on yellow river. I don't think shoal is polluted but the fishing is definatly not as good as yellow. When the water level is right (right now way to low) little yellow in milligan is probably some of the better bass fishing on the river mainly because most people who fish this part are bream fishing. Also you have to have a small jon boat to access this part of yellow river. Shoal just deosn't seem to have the number of quality bass that yellow does.


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## FishWalton

jcoss15, thanks for the update. I fished the Yellow River twice in the past couple of months. First experience on this river. I live in De Funiak. Tried Shoal but way too low. I launched at Guest Landing and have a 14 ft jon boat with 20hp kicker. Went up river based on suggetions from others who know the river. It's a 45 miles drive from home. Wish it were closer. I usually fish the Choctawhatchee which is only 17 miles. In fact went this mornng and caught 9 shellcracker, one was really huge, at least for me. He was a 11 1/2 incher. 

Anyway, where do you launch in Milligan? I'm primariy a bream guy but will plug a little for bass.


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## jcoss15

There is a boat ramp off hwy 90 across from the BP station in Milligan, just follow the dirt road until it dead ends at the ramp. In my opinion the best fishing is up river passed the bridge but it is also the roughest part of the river thats why most people go down river. either way you can't go wrong throwing a crankbait, worm, or single blade spinnerbait.


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## FishWalton

Thanks, will check out this landing next time I am over there and use it when the water if a little higher.


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## SLICK75

jcoss15 said:


> There is a boat ramp off hwy 90 across from the BP station in Milligan, just follow the dirt road until it dead ends at the ramp. In my opinion the best fishing is up river passed the bridge but it is also the roughest part of the river thats why most people go down river. either way you can't go wrong throwing a crankbait, worm, or single blade spinnerbait.


Dont take anything bigger than a 12 or 14 ft jon boat or bigger motor than a 10hp. I went across the bridge a couple of weeks ago and you could cross it without getting your knees wet. Theres a long straight stretch below the hwy 90 bridge (upstream of the boat ramp) that extends quite a way past the RR trestle thats below the boat ramp. That area is extremely shallow. Theres several more areas like that too and if your motor is very big its going to stay in the sand.

Theres also anther bridge on Hwy 2 between Laurel Hill and Baker. Ive done pretty good there in the past too, but just like the Hwy 90 area, theres a lot of long shallow straights. Thats why I havent been back in so long. I have a 20" shaft on my motor and its gets interesting trying to navigate those straights when the water is like it is now.


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## FishWalton

I have a 14 jon with 20hp short shaft. Last time to Shoal it gave me a workout navigatng the shallows. Had to go slow and do a lot of twisting and turning to gain a couple of inchs of water for the motor. The "holes" were maybe 3 ft deep when you could find them. Will probably wait a while for more water to try Yellow at 90, but will take a look anyway. I like to explore just to see what's there.


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## jamer32539

FishWalton said:


> *Landing*
> 
> Here is a Google Earth photo of the landing


Is this the ramp off of Ellis road


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## FishWalton

jamer32539 said:


> Is this the ramp off of Ellis road


Not sure what you are addressing, but if it's a place to launch I launch at the bridge on hwy 90, but it 's been a good while since I have done that. There is a better ramp at the bridge on hwy 85


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