All the time I hear guys talking about huge waves on the big lakes like Mead, Clear Lake, Powell, etc. I hear 5 foot, 8 foot, even 10 foot waves mentioned. I believe that with enough distance, a large wave could be generated in fresh water, but I would really like to see a picture of one on a western impoundment (no great lakes pictures please). Even a picture of a legit 5 foot wave would impress me. Anyone?

The biggest wave I have ever seen was on clear lake and it was perhaps 3.5 feet. Many boats came to weigh ins that day with trolling motors ripped off, fish finders gone and with stories of spearing waves and flooding the entire boat. It was rough but it was not 5 feet.

dood how are we suppose to take pics of 5ft+ waves on the San Joaquin or Clear Lake. I'm usually to busy trying to navigate home safely.

It would be interesting to see if anyone has anything.

I've gotten air on some 4-6 footers on Okeechobee. :)

Needless to say, your probably glad you weren't in the passenger seat, but for me....it was the most fun ive had in a boat. My Triton soared like an eagle that day.

Oh...you wanted pictures lol and a western impoundment

http://www.calfishing.com/gallery/v/members/bigreenjobass/

You can't tell me no one has pulled in to a cove and taken some pictures of giant waves before. If I ever see a 6-8 foot wave on a lake, I promise I will take a pic.

lol if you ever see 6-8ftr's in your boat. The pics will be for your insurance company :+

Who's got pics? There has to be at least some clear lake locals that have takin pics from there dock?

Here's a picture of 4 footers on Mille Lacs in Minnesota. I was taking a picture of a loon but the wave covered him up. No pictures of western waters though. too busy trying not to die.

I have been in much worse waters on Mead. The worst was coming out of Vegas wash in a nasty storm. Not sure how big but while gowing over the crest of the waves at a 45 degree angle, the big motor was submerging and the bow was only a couple feet over the crest. Not sure how big like I said but John Murray and Byron laughed at me when I got to their house. John said it looks like 10 footers out there. I'd imagine he was close.

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Do the wakes created by huge boats on the Delta count? I survived many of those on the Delta. In my little boat when Im on the trolling motor up front its like trying to ride a bull when those waves hit. Most times I just get down on my hands and knees!!

I cant say Ive ever seen 5 foot waves in fresh water either. But it depends on how you measure it. The face or the back of the wave, quite a difference. The biggest waves Ive seen in fresh water have to be at Clear Lake. Theres been many a night where I only made it 100 feet from the boat ramp before turning back around.

Another experience comes to mind. Fishing Trinity at night. There is no shoreline development at Trinity, plus you have steep mountains. Fish on a moonless night and you cant see nothing, and I mean nothing. One night there was huge waves, it was all I could do to hold the boat. But, I couldnt see the waves coming in total darkness, and I was taking on water every time the nose dipped over a wave. That was very uncool and actually dangerous. I dont think Ill ever do that again (side note, my buddy dumped a toad that night slow rolling a spinnerbait down deep).

I got into some bad north winds at Lake Guerrero in Mexico. The guide is driving an 18foot tiller steer boat. We were making the trip across the mid lake area into a tough cold front. I'm sitting in the front seat, my buddy is in the back seat and the guide is standing next to the engine. I cannot see the water, from my position of white knuckling the sides of the boat, when we crest the waves. He's cutting the waves at a 45 degree angle, and can then basically "surfing" down the front face. That guy could drive a boat, never been happier to get back to camp. Con't know how tall the waves were, but didn't care to measure them. :-)

Those rollers on the main river from the yachts at the delta are worthy of a good measure of fear. Cris and I were coming back the other weekend and we saw a fat one coming. I was glad that Cris just took her off pad and we plowed up and over at about 10mph. That was a legit 4-5 foot boat wake. Where was the camera :)

Ugh, Delta boat wakes! In a fed tourney last year we were coming back up from Disco, when we got to the first bridge 3 cruisers came through in a row on pad. Yeah... apparently those things can get on pad! The first two sets weren't too bad but by the time the third set got there on top of the huge rollers they create the nose of our boat ended up about a foot and a half from the bottom of the bridge! Couldn't tell you how big those waves actually were except that they were too big! x(

OK, this is Lake Lanier in GA. This was July 2006. Lots of 25-35 foot cruisers run around on this lake, especially in the Southern heat.

I pulled up to fish this bridge, and snapped this pic of a saltwater going vessel coming by me at full steam...NOT a 6-8 foot wave/wake. More like a 2-3 footer...but still rattles the heck out of a 19 foot Ranger standing still.

The biggest waves I've ever seen on the water...probably were at the Columbia River in the BassMaster about 6-7 years ago. Crazy barges throwing huge rolling wakes, and then the wind from the Gorge going against the current....it was a "standing wave" of sorts.

The Delta...well the craziest thing I've ever seen on the Delta, besides huge boat wakes by tankers...clearly > 3 foot wakes...was when a tanker went by about 3-4 feet of water suddenly sucked out of the river...just all the sudden we lost a bunch of water and the tules went dry and all this as the tanker went by. It was crazy. We didn't damage the boat or anything, but I could see how that could be a problem if you were over rock or riprap and you lost 3-4 feet of water in an instant...the tanker went by and the water came back up. I'm not a mariner, but, think thats called the draft or whatever from a ship.

Lanier drive by:



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