I'd like to float the Cedar River and wondered who here has done some of it. I was thinking of one of a couple options. Put in at Landsburg and take out at 169. Put in at 169 and take out at Cedar Grove Rd. Or put in at Cedar Grove Rd and float down towards Renton. Probably have my wife drop me off so I don't have to worry about the truck getting broken into. That would make it easier to manage getting in and out, as well.
Let me know if you've done this using a pontoon. I'm going to stop by Creekside this afternoon and ping them on the idea as well.
I've never done it but have seen plenty of people float it. Just be careful of log jams, they try to put up signs before you reach them and you can usually get around them easy enough with a pontoon.
I've done Cedar Grove to Renton Community Center. Great float! Great fishing! Try to go during the week if you can- less riff raff floating and drinking. It's looking low right now- there have been times that I have had to get out and walk in the past when it was low. As was said before- watch out for log jams.
I was below lands berg this week and you would be a fool to try and float it. Its very low and lots of rocks. Plus some big logjams by the Maple Valley park. Maybe put in a little downstream, but its pretty skinny water until the golf course area. I saw lots of tubers walking!
River is floatable right now. There is a log jam between 169 and Cedar grove - better bet may be to put in at the railroad bridge just down from Royal Arch Park. There is a side road that parallels the cedar river trail and 169 that will put you right there.
I don't know why, but I really miss fishing that creek. Anybody freaked out about bears in the woods here, really just needs to spend a July evening on the Cedar.
Some guy was guarding the parking lot last night saying that there has been a rash of car break-ins by a group on mountain bikes. They apparently go up and down the trail and break in if you leave something in plain view.
Also if you are floating it a Beaver chopped a tree down and across the river by Cedar Mountain.
Floated the other day from Rod Regis park to the lake. Two people on a big inflatable paddleboard, only flipped once. Caught some nice fish and hooked a few lake runs. No logjams and its still pretty floatable but the section in downtown Renton is skinny and boasting a 1000 to 1 sucker to trout ratio. Overall a great float.
Never been a size or numeric limit on tweekers. Extra points tho, if you leave a tweeker hanging from a tree at an access area to warn other tweekers away.
Had a good float today. Put in at the railroad bridge but only managed to get to Cedar Grove by the end of the day. Fished about 5 hours, fishing each run pretty slowly. Started off tossing BWO but had only one take. Switched over to an attractor with a bead head prince dropper and fished that for the rest of the day. Had good success with the nymph and one take with the attractor right off the end of a downed tree. All in all a good day.
Tuber's-galore on the Cedar today. Started out at Belmondo Reach area and worked my way upstream, could hardly find a section of water that wasn't blown out by loud-mouthed tubers swimming in and out of the best trout pools and runs, guess we have to share the river...I try to respect others that use the river but it is hard to do so when you see coke cans and zip lock bags floating down the river all day, and inner-tube wrappers sitting on the side of the river.
I was fishing my way up a nice pool just upstream from Belmondo and some guy wades across the river and basically across the pool with his stereo, 30 rack of Rainier, and beach chair, and plops down on the beach on the inside of the bend and blasts music, with me fishing 30 feet away. The audacity of some people...
Just wade up stream next time and pee. Make sure they see you, that's what I do. No water all day so is nice and yellow.. Some asparagus puts some stank on it as well..
What is the "dangerous" obstacle downstream of the Renton Community Center? I remember reading signs when wade fishing down there, but I would like to plan a float through that section if possible. Sounds like some of you have done it recently.
I have never fished downstream of there and thought it might be worth checking out to get away from all the tubers.
Also, I have talked to the guy that lives in the house near the Cedar Mountain parking area multiple times. He keeps an eye on tweakers that break into cars around there. As previously mentioned, there is one or more mountain bike bandits that ride up and down the trail and break into cars. I have witnessed this first hand and confronted one as he was scoping out my truck. My suggestion is to avoid that area if you can, or at least make sure there is nothing of value visible in your vehicle. From talking to the local homeowner.. the guy has been arrested numerous times and keeps getting out.
Quite the adventure. Very cool to float the river and see a bunch of areas that inaccessible from the railroad. One pontoon in our group lost an oar about halfway through the float. Tried to lash the two pontoons together but only made it about a mile before we called one of the wives to bring a truck and bail him out. Need spare oars and oar leashes next time. if anyone finds a single black Cataract composite oar please reach out- lost near Arcadia
The remaining two of us floated the rest of the way. The log jamb near the trestle in Dorre Don moved the entire river into a side channel that had no access. Had to drag the boat about 1/2 mile down an empty river bed...
Wish the flow was a touch lower because a lot of good looking slots were just a touch too fast to fish. Will get pretty bony for floating if the river drops much though
Fishing this afternoon picked up and was pretty great.
Thinking of checking out the next section down on Monday
@Brian Caud Dude nice! way to get after it. I've been wanting to float the cedar for a while now. I bet the ol' watermaster would be ideal for the cedar. Glad to know its doable, albiet a bit sketchy. But sketchy is pretty par for the course on the Cedar.
@castsN2trees I went yesterday evening and had the same experience. Got a little excited and tried to cross the river. Slipped and fell in the drink. I dunked but no ride. Still managed to have a productive evening.
Next time I go I'll keep an eye out for an oar and some smith glasses.
I fished a few stretches of the upper section today. Water is definitely moving at a good clip, so I stayed close to the banks. Caught one and lost a couple. I'd like to float it this summer when the level goes down.
I fished a few stretches of the upper section today. Water is definitely moving at a good clip, so I stayed close to the banks. Caught one and lost a couple. I'd like to float it this summer when the level goes down.
View attachment 240993
I hit the lower section today and worked up as far as I could while trying to avoid the literal fiesta going on at Belmondo's reach. Not much social distancing going on except from me and the fish. Lost what felt like a decent sized one towards the end of the evening but was having trouble getting in to them with the water level as high as it was today. Oh well, back again tomorrow!
I pulled a drunk, dumb floater out of the Cedar on Thursday evening. Apparently he was too cool to get out of his float tube even when he saw the warning signs and another angler warned him and his floating buddies all exited. Took 2 beers and 30 minutes to calm down after that. Caught 5 bows.
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