Freshwater in S. Alabama or Mississippi???

Is there any freshwater in south Alabama or south Mississippi to ride in? I need to make a trailer trade with a guy and want to stay close to I-10 for the sake of time. I've looked on a map and WW for an hour and all I can find is Creek Lake (Big Creek Lake?) near Mobile. Is this lake ride-able?

where do you live... i ride in brachish water usually in gulfport/biloxi area. its usually more fresh than brackish. there is also the fish fiver on the other side of mobile thats awesome!!

i met some guy that said he rides in a fresh water river near hurley or moss point. he is going to show me around. other than that, ive gone towards covington... im with ya on trying to find better fresh water.

I'm actually in Ft Walton (Florida panhandle). I just need a freshwater place to meet a guy to trade trailers, but I'd like to ride since we have to put the boat in the water anyways.

i hear ya... where does the other guy live? id say your best bet might be fish river. its on your side of mobile and then south MAYBE 20 min. its a cool river with some young rippers out there!

After looking on a map...is it near Marlow, AL? Is that really fresh water? Looks like it would be brackish.

Since it has rained so much lately some of the ramps near I-10 may be in mostly fresh water. Being that close to the ocean you are going to have a little salt, but as much rain as we've had in the area and in the northern part of the state the rivers are going to be flowing pretty good.
The closest ramp I can think of to I-10 is in Woolmarket. It is maybe a mile from I-10 but is kinda a sketchy ramp. I've ridden from there once with a friend and your ability to get the boat in and out of the channel was dependent on the tides. But with the amount of rain we've had it will possibly be pretty full.
Another ramp that I know of is in Moss Point just south of I-10, great place to drop in and take a few runs, but again, may be a little brackish.
When are you making this trade? Its going to be chilly in this area this weekend.
Justin... where do you ride down there? I'm from Hattiesburg but ride in Gautier/Moss Point and have friends in Woolmarket that ride. I'm hurting for more riders as my normal crew has found other things to do with their lives like have kids. Would love to meet up with you and ride.

Thanks for the info! Turns out it probably won't happen this weekend. We have dry suits anyway, so cold isn't as much of an issue.

No prob, if you decide to launch at either of the locations I've mentioned I'll give you better instructions on how to get there. I hear what you mean about drysuits, I used to ride year round without much problem, eventually gave up the drysuit and just wore my fullsuit all year, hot water showers on the boat are awesome. I haven't ridden in a long time though due to lack of riding partners.

Looks like we might try to do this trade this Friday. We will probably try to ride a bit if we have time...but we probably can't leave from Ft Walton until noon. Do you know of any other spots a little further west? Like closer to slidel? You are welcome to join us if we can get out there soon enough to ride.

And kids are no excuse. I just had one last year and we just bring him along. He seems to have a good time and laughs and screams (in a good way) at people while they are riding.

I'm lookin at at map and see a good looking ramp on E Oaklawn Road on Panther's Creek off of the Tchoutacabouffa River. Is that one of the ones you were talking about? Can you give me exact directions to the ramps you know of? Thanks!

dog river is right where I-65 and I-10 meet in mobile.

Hi Matt... yes, that is the ramp I'm talking about. It is just a few minutes off the interstate and a short motor out to the main river. Again, I've only been there once and its a bit shallow, but we made it that day we went. We've had more rain last night so the rivers should be pretty full and mostly fresh water. To get to the ramp you will take the Woolmarkey/highway 67 exit off I-10, at the stop sign you will take a left, then another left onto Oaklawn road. Follow it around, I think there's an RV park or something on the right, go past that and you will see a parking area and the ramp. Its a small ramp but we've launched a Moomba Mobius LSV there with no trouble. I'll call a friend of mine who lives less than 10 minutes from there and verify with him that its still a viable ramp.
As for ramps farther west, there's one that I know of in Slidell, its a pretty good ways off the interstate and a long idle to a rideable area. If you want to look it up its on Bayou lane, which is at the corner of Fremaux Ave (highway 190) and Front St. (highway 11) in Slidell.
What time do you think you would make it over there? That launch is a little over an hour drive from me, but I'd love to come out and meet you and ride.
Brad... I would think that dog river would be pretty brackish if not salty. I may be wrong cause I've never ridden there before.

Is there a somewhere we can wash off the boats near that Woolmarket ramp? It sounds like it will be pretty close to fresh, but it would be nice to wash everything off just in case.

There is a gas station just up the road from the ramp, they should have a hose there.

ok, if you are wanting the BEST place to ride, go to gulfport lake... it was not salty at ALL today.
(tiff, thats where i usually ride) there is a LONG straight thats about 15-20 feet deep. its not bad AT ALL. i work till 2 tues-sat but ill be out there every chance i get after im off. its a good ramp. you will never have a prob with sandbars... just drive straight down the industrial seaway and turn when you get to the end.

write me on myspace or ill try to keep checking this if you need any other help. the tch......buff river is a little more "fresh" usually if the salt is bad, but there are a lot of turns and its hard to find a good stretch so i stay in the seaway.

Hi Matt... I talked to my friend and he said that the ramp I'm talking about is really shallow now and he has trouble getting his jetski in and out. So scratch that. There is a much better ramp one exit further east on Cedar Lake Road that he uses. I have been to that ramp once and it is nicer. You take the Cedar Lake Road exit off I-10 and go north, its right off the road to the right side.

Where is Gulfport Lake? Directions to ramp?

Matt... I'm not entirely sure where Gulfport lake is or what ramp Justin uses. From what I can tell looking at Google earth the ramp you would be using is a good way off the interstate. Maybe Justin can clarify this. If you want to take a look at it on Google Earth or a similar program the Latitude and Longitude is 30*25'26"N 89*03'37"W.
The Latitude and Longitude for the ramp on Cedar Lake Road is 30*27'33"N 88*56'20"W.

whoa! a tiffanator sighting!

Hi Joe, yes I have been away for probably more than a year... that whole stupid "time to act like a grownup" thing got me and I bought a house and worked on it all last summer. Not this summer, I'm so ready to ride.

its maybe 5 minutes from the interstate. you exit hwy 49 (exit 34) and go south about a mile, if that. you take a left on airport blvd and pass the "airport" and when the road dead ends, you take a right and then your immediate left. its at a wanna-be golf coarse. thats just go around the bend and you will be at the water. i would really be suprised if it took you longer than 15 minutes. i rode there sunday, tuesday, and today!

or call me 281 702 3577 if you need anything else

Hey Justin, thanks for clearing that up. That's the ramp I was thinking, looks like an awesome place to ride.

whenever you are around give me a call!!! we would love to have you out. its great water, but does get old if you go there EVERY day for a summer. this year im starting to venture out to new places..

we should be out at Gulfport Lake by 3pm tomorrow hopefully

(Message edited by hokiesax on March 13, 2008)

Hey Matt.. just got your PM and replied. See you tomorrow.

you guys have fun. the tide was way up today and it was still almost ALL fresh. if you guys are looking for an extra just let me know.

ps, dont try to do a double up in front of the $100 million yacht. they get PISSED!!!!!