Is there a small boat launch on Salt lake in Freeport?

[richg99]

Does anyone know if there is a ramp there? Rich

[Ms addicted]

Yes there is Rich. You enter in the Refuge off 227 and drive back until right before you get to the headquarters. There is a road that goes off to the left toward salt lake. Its a good kayak launch. They have put some poles there I think to keep bigger trailers from launching but I dont know that it would stop a small boat/trailer but you might check at the headquarters.

[awendel]

If you're talking about Salt Lake in the Brazoria Cty wildlife refuge, then yes and no. There is a small launch site for canoes and kayaks only. No powered boats allowed to launch there. You can come in from the Freeport side with a power boat though.

[Ms addicted]

Oh, so he couldn't launch his gheenoe there...bummer.

[awendel]

Fraid not. It's not really a ramp there you can back down with a trailer. More like a small concrete pad you can get in and out of your kayak without stepping and walking on the big rocks around it.

[richg99]

Thx. I was aware of the launch in the reserve. Please advise how I can find the one on the Freeport side. Rich

[frustrated]

Looks like the closest ramp is the triple wide ramp off the Blue Water Highway behind the crabbing pier across from Stalhman Park in Surfside which empties into the ICW then east on the ICW to Nick's cut, north thru Nick's Lake to enter Salt Lake near the southeast corner. The refuge web site http://www.stateparks.com/brazoria_nati ... texas.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; clearly states power boats must enter Nick's Lake and Salt Lake from the ICW.

[richg99]

Thank you. I was at that bait shop some months ago. I didn't know I could back track to Salt lake. Rich

[Ms addicted]

yeah, I have launched my yak there at salt a bunch of time just not real recently. I had thought that Rich could squeeze his Gheenoe in there but guess not.


Alright, well Rich I think you should consider Commissioners launch. Go over the bridge to surfside, turn left on the bluewater hwy and go a little over 2 miles to Bay street on the left (just past the crabbing pier). Take it back toward the ICW (it makes a couple of jogs but you can tell where the main route is). The boat ramp is at the end. Its three launches, all shallow and all dirt. The entrance to Nicks is 4 miles down the icw. Lots of poling skiffs and small boats launch there to fish essex, slop bowl and salt/nicks.

[Ms addicted]

Well heck, I am just too slow tonight. Beat me to it, lol.

But there is no bait shop there Rich, you might be thinking of a different spot.

[richg99]

Thanks to all. On my one previous guided trip on Salt, I heard a motor boat launching just East of me. That launch was, apparently, the one near the crabbing spot.

Yes, Ms. Addicted, once more you are correct. I was thinking of the launch off of the main highway, not Blue Water. This will get me in there.

Trying get away from Galv. due to the biker's rally this weekend. regards, Rich

[richg99]

Thanks to both "frustrated" and "Ms Addicted". I went to the the triple launch today off of Blue Water Highway. It really is a dirt launch, just as you said. No problem launching though, other than it required a bit of wading due to the shallow water. I am used to that.

In my original quest, I was looking for SALT lake. What I really meant was SWAN lake, which, as you know, is immediately West of the triple launch.

I spent a couple of fruitless hours in there. It was the day after a front. Nothing like picking a blue bird day to try out new territory.

Later, though, I ran the Gheenoe (with the electric jackplate way up high) all of the way back to the South end of Swan.

I found one or two schools of reds working the reeds. They were a good ten or fifteen feet back up in the weeds, up against the shoreline. They were blasting shrimp and anything in their path. Backs out of the water, they looked like every great fishing picture should.

With the trolling motor, I was just able to keep up with them. Unfortunately, the Gulp that I had on was on a regular jig head. That jig head caught up in the reeds on the few casts that I threw close the moving herd. The last cast either tapped a red, or caught a reed...because suddenly I was surrounded by fleeing reds. They scampered out to deeper water while I pulled the jig back out of the weeds. Next time, I will be better prepared with a weedless jighead, or a weedless silver/gold spoon.

None-the-less, I found a new spot. My Gheenoe did what a shallow water boat should, and I am still happy.

Now, if it didn't take me over three hours to drive back home to North Houston, I'd be happier. Some wreck on Route 290 jammed up the trip home. Next time I will pay the tolls and go around the city, as I know I should.

Thanks again for the information which helped me find one more neat launch, close to fish-able water.

regards, Rich

p.s. Nearly every restaurant or bar, that I passed on the way home, was full of bikers.

[Ms addicted]

yeah its the lone star rally weekend, bikes everywhere.

So Swan is what you were really after huh? Well then we definitely picked the right launch, lol.

Sounds like you had a decent time and its all a learning experience. Hopefully your next outing isnt quite so time and labor intensive to get to/home from.

[richg99]

Ms A....I presume you are not going to Baytown tomorrow? Rich

[Hemi Fisher]

Rich, how shallow was it back there on the South end of Swan? I was actually just looking at that spot on google maps last night. Looks like a redfish heaven back there.

[Ms addicted]

Ms A....I presume you are not going to Baytown tomorrow? Rich

No Rich, I had to cancel. Unfortunately I just have too much stuff to do and I have a guided trip Sunday taking out Bigun and his mom so saturday is my only option to get things done

[richg99]

Hemi..well, the tide at Freeport was, supposedly, rising. At Noon, I had about one foot. I did run into a number of oyster reefs, though. Can't tell what it would be at low tide.

I will be back.
Rich

[richg99]

Ms A. Yes, I won't be there either. Sounds like they have a ton of things to do. My old body is tired today. Rich