Isle du Bois state park at Ray Roberts

Do any of you guys launch there before the park opens at 6:00am?

Jordan Park is a better option

You cant, the gates are closed , unless you're already inside the park

Agree. Its open 24/7.

Expect a line at the gate tomorrow morning. There will already be a decent amount of sunlight by the time the gates open at 6:00 am. The wind is supposed to be down tomorrow and lots of people have been waiting for low wind on a weekend for a while now.

Some people say that the gate will open if you walk up and push on it. I tried that and it didn't work.

Lots of ramps on the lake that are always open with many being better locations to launch a boat from. IDB is crowded and sucks in a South wind and Jordan is crowded and sucks in a North wind. Both are South of the stumps and close to good fishing though for all the High School tournament practice people going for the first time.

Jordan ramp is definitely a nightmare for North wind. Experienced that a few too many times. It is extremely crowded on weekends as well. But you can get to Wolf or Indian in a few minutes from there, and Sandbranch is right around the corner. Lots of options from Jordan.

What about Buck Creek ramp? Never been and headed that way Sunday for HS practice. Thanks!!

Buck is not good for someone that doesn't know the lake, unless you plan on staying over on that side all day

Pond Creek or the Sanger ramps are other good options.

IMO for boat launching Buck is the most protected ramp on the lake, all 4 sides. For running to the lower lake from there it is the most difficult because of the trees in the water. There is a lot of great fishing in that part of the lake it is just not wide open runnable water.

Allllll day!!!


Don't let the "open water" areas fool you

Yes, VERY Careful! There are new lower units and major fiberglass repairs everywhere. There is a "lane" down the creek channel, but it starts AFTER the first set of stumps past the bridge. If you don't know it, don't try it. Once you get out of there to the Railroad Bed, you can run to the end of it, make a right, and a left before the St. James Hump, then find the area between the trees...

NEVERMIND... Don't try it!!!

Thanks for all the input guys!!! Appreciated!!

Buck ramp is great, but running that area is not easy. Also, most tournaments launch from Jordan or the marina, so you are not going to benefit fishing over there if you launch form the west side of the lake. You would be wasting valuable time having to travel back and forth.

can anyone tell me if Pond Creek ramp gets packed when a Tournament launches from Ray Roberts Marina? Looking to go out early on Saturday and the marina said they had a tournament launching Saturday morning. I didnt if, since the ramps are so close, would some of the boats use the Pond Creek Ramp to put in. Thanks for the info

I guess that depends on the tournament. I've never seen Pond very busy. Not as busy as Sanger Park/Marina ramp.

Agreed. Pond is a little used ramp most of the time