*About the group *Goals and Objectives *History Committee *Recreation Committee *Tourism Committee *Preservation/Development *Sponsors *Contact us *Links *Home
Recreation on the Coal River
The rivers are loaded with natural characteristics that support the various popular boating based recreation activities.
Light paddleboat enthusiasts will find that the Big Coal offers both challenge as well as beauty that will satisfy all but the most extreme whitewater enthusiasts. The explorers found the following natural sites that provide basic boating aficionados with the most desired river travel attributes.
The entire river trail offers every type of boater with an opportunity to enjoy the river.
Go to this State DNR link to find Public Launch sights http://www.wv.gov/Offsite.aspx?u=http://www.wvdnr.gov. Do not cross private land. If you're unsure, don't cross.
The Mouth of the Coal is navigable despite constantly changing siltation levels. Large motor craft can easily navigate the coal from the Coalsmouth at St. Albans on the Kanawha to the curve at Drumheller Drive. The length of navigable river suitable for motor boating is approximately 2 miles.
The Sharp Curve at Indian Creek/Drumheller Drive is the outer limit in which motor boating in larger craft drawing over 1.5 ft should attempt? Water hazards at this point include besides the shallow shoal areas the Historic foundations of Log cribs. These Crib foundations are located just below the low water surface of the river and have historically cause prop damage to unwary motor boaters.
The River from the Indian Head shoals to lower falls is approximately 3.5 miles and offers an excellent shallow pool with few natural hazards other than the constantly changing shallow islands of sand which are mostly located just below the surface of the low water level. Motorboats regularly navigate this pool but the captain must be on guard for the underwater islands of sand.
Continuing from Lower Falls to Upper falls a length of approximately 2.5 miles. The river again is shallow 2 to 4 foot at normal pool. The pool offers beautiful vistas, excellent fishing and view of historic log booms that extend well out of the water surface during most normal pool stages.
Lower Falls to Upper, falls a length of approximately 6.5 miles, offers an excellent shallow pool with few natural hazards other than the constantly changing shallow islands of sand .This pool offers beautiful vistas, excellent fishing and view of historic log booms that extend well out of the water surface during most normal pool stages. Currently there is no official Public Access at Lower falls. We are working diligently with DNR to make this happen. There is, however, a DNR unimproved put in at Riverbend which is 2 miles below Meadowood Park, Tornado. (Meadowood Park Kan. Co. Parks and Rec.) Not an official Put in sight, but it's in the works and it's public land.
Upper Falls Lower Falls
Arial Photography by Steve Doty
The Upper Falls pool is one of the rivers most beautiful sites. The site borders the 400-acre county park Meadowood. History buffs will enjoy the very defined Lock structure that is clearly defined and visible at the dam. The foundation of the former gristmill is located on the west side of the dam area. The water route offers many fishing spots, wildlife and wilderness views. A crude put-in, "unimproved" DNR site, is located under Corridor G at the junction of State Rt. 8. and 2 miles down river is a DNR launch Lyons Park. http://www.wv.gov/Offsite.aspx?u=http://www.wvdnr.gov
Just below the dam the shoals offer excellent fishing opportunities and more talented whitewater kyakers enjoy the rapid decent through the trough from the dams base.
The upper falls pool extends to the Forks of Coal Approximately 8 miles upstream.
The water route offers many fishing spots, wildlife and wilderness views. A crude put-in site is located under Corridor G at the junction of State Rt. 8.
Fishing abounds along the Coal. The State DNR director of Warm Water Fisheries has classed the fishing on the coal as excellent. He sites electric shock studies taken at various locations over the length of both the Big and Little Coal that show a broad variety of game fish available. He notes that the fact that fishing on the coal has been relatively light over the past decade is due more to the reputation of the coal than on the actual productivity and availability of fish in the rivers. He noted that is why they call fishing fishing instead of catching….in other words the fisherman’s skills dictate the number of fish available on the coal.
It is interesting to note that the once plentiful Muskee have been depleted on the coal yet due to the stocking of Tiger Muskee for the past decade the coal is supporting this "New Muskee". The fact is Muskee have been caught in the Coal that exceed 30 inches during the past several years.
Fishing locations identified by the river explorers that offer exceptional opportunities for fishing include the following: (Note-the fishing members of the research team may have been less than forthcoming with certain sites after all they are fishermen and to give out the locations of the very best sites could impact there personal fishing fun)
It is clear that the Coal River Trail supports a large variety of fishing opportunities and can be further improved by efforts to improve natural habitat, Pollution abatement efforts, and increased stocking by the new DNR hatchery in Point Pleasant, WV.
How do we improve and develop this recreational River Trail?
The Coal River Group Recreation committee is preparing a plan which will outline the many improvements which should be made to make the river more accessible, (light boat put-in locations) The state has built 5 designated put ins along the coal but many more are needed to truly make the river accessible for future visitors.
The Group plans to conduct a cleanup and river beautification program.
Fish stocking programs are being pursued through the states DNR warm water-fishing program.
Efforts to encourage the acquisition of land by public entities at the most important historical sites is being planned to preserve and protect historical areas along the length of both rivers.
The Group is developing river navigation signage, historical markers and river camping facility.
Finely the promotion of this NEW recreational trail system through brochures, land demarcation sites, and publicity will be planned and coordinated with the state and federal tourism and parks groups.
Overall the group hopes that the River Trail Activity provides the basic infrastructure for bringing tourism and economic development to the region. A clean recreational river located within 50 miles of the state largest population center is ready to be discovered.
The Coal River Group hopes to serve as the instrument to make the dream come true
*About the group *Goals and Objectives *History Committee *Recreation Committee *Tourism Committee *Preservation/Development *Sponsors *Contact us *Links *Home