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Lake Powell
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Lake Powell is a large reservoir on the Colorado River at the Utah-Arizona
border. Click here for map. For hundreds of miles, water fills
red-rock canyons with sheer cliffs. The reservoir is 186 miles long, but the many side
canyons yield a shoreline length of almost 2000 miles! Altitude is 3,700 feet. Chad Hunter hits the wake on a tube. |
The best strategy for diving Powell is via houseboat. Tow your ski boat and/or jetski behind. Once you've found a good overnight spot for the houseboat, use the smaller boat for exploration and fun.
| Camping spots are few and far between, so try to arrive at your
destination early (before 3 pm). Campsites are in very good shape and remarkably free of
debris, considering that 2 million people use this lake every year. (Note that you MUST
bring a port-a-potty for camping.) A houseboat offers many more options for spending the
night -- just about any cove will have something you can tie the boat to -- plus some
relief from that vicious mid-day sun. Mike Engberson and (non-diver) Scruffy pitch a tent on the shore of the Escalante. July 19, 1999. |
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We strongly recommend you purchase a set of detail maps of the lake. These maps show much greater detail, including locations of buoys, beaches, and smaller coves. A GPS unit helps even more -- we've provided some coordinates below.
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The Water: Lake Powell is diveable year-round, although
it's quite chilly in the winter. Mid-summer surface water temperatures are usually 76-78
degrees. Visibility varies by location. Near the end of canyons, nutrient-rich water
creates an algae bloom, which reduces visibility to around 8-15 feet. Closer to the main
channel, clear water provides up to 30 feet visibility. Dominic Bria and a new smallmouth friend in Iceberg Canyon. Photo Bruce Argyle, Nikonos 20 mm, July 17, 1999. |
| Most divers avoid the Hite area, because the Colorado delivers a large
load of silt and nutrients into this area of the lake, resulting in poor visibility. (Best
visibility tends to between Bullfrog and the San Juan.) Future diver Kristen, age 11, explodes into the water of Iceberg Canyon from the slide of the houseboat. July 17, 1999. |
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Regulations: Spearfishing is prohibited at Lake Powell,
with the exception of carp. Be sure to deploy your dive flag(s) carefully. You must use a
port-a-potty or marine head, and dispose of waste at a pump-out station. Digging your own
toilet is against the law! The depth of Powell makes it difficult to keep a dive flag in good position. A surface man with snorkel gear, like young Jeremiah on the far left, helps keep the flag in place. |
| Exposure: In mid-summer, higher-metabolism divers can
dive without exposure protection by staying shallow (less than 25 feet). Going deeper, you
might be comfortable with just a farmer john or thick shorty. Most divers who go deep will
use a full wet suit, but without hood or gloves. At Iceberg Canyon, we dived without wetsuits and were comfortable. Here at 70 feet depth in the Escalante, Mike was chilly while wearing a 4 mm suit. Photo Bruce Argyle, July 19, 1999. |
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Services: Marinas are located about every 40 miles along
the lake. Marinas have gas and a small assortment of food, drink, and supplies. Gas will
cost about 50% more at the lake. Pump-out stations and floating bathrooms are found at
various locations between the marinas. There is NO scuba support at the lake itself. The
nearest facility is Twin Fin Scuba in Page, Arizona (near Wahweap). Vince, Jeremiah, and Alex celebrate a successful catch as the sun sets beind the Navajo sandstone cliffs. Iceberg Canyon, July 17, 1999. |
| Fees: There is a per-vehicle fee, and an additional fee for boat launching, payable as you enter the Lake Powell area. Expect to pay about $25 for a 5-day pass for your car and boat. |
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What to see: The reservoir has plenty of largemouth bass,
striped bass, bluegill, sunfish, carp, and catfish. Fish populations vary dramatically
from one site to another. A catfish cruises through the rocks. Photo Bruce Argyle, Nikonos V 20 mm, July 17, 1999. |
| With patience, you can attract bass and bluegill into camera range. Take
some goodies down with you. Cheez Whiz can often bring shy fish up close. A bluegill cruises past the striated edge of a block of Navajo sandstone. Photo Bruce Argyle, July 19, 1999. |
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For the bloodthirsty: You can shoot carp with your speargun. But the carp
know this, and they're a bit shy. If you want other fish, you have to catch them with your
pole. There isn't a lot of cover for crayfish in some areas of the lake. You won't find a lot. If you do find a bunch, pick an easy Crayfish Recipe and try a dutch oven cookout. A two-foot carp cruises past the rocks. Photo Bruce Argyle, Nikonos V 20 mm, July l7, 1999. |
| Do a little underwater anthropology. There are ruins both underwater and
above water. Here at 80 feet depth, the cliff recesses back in a natural amphitheater. Near the cliff base is a circle of stones, the remnant of a campfire over 30 years ago, before Lake Powell filled. Photo taken on the Escalante, July 20, 1999, Nikonos V 20 mm. |
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Specific Sites on Lake Powell
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Hansen Creek: Proceed about 1/2 to 1 mile up the creek
and locate a cove out of the way of motorized traffic. Further up, the visility reduces
dramatically. Expect to see bass, bluegill, and carp. Visibility is 15-25 feet in the
rocky areas. Surface temperature 78 degrees, gradual thermocline at 20 feet reducing
temperature to 74; second thermocline at 50 feet with temperature 67. 12-inch smallmouth bass were easily approachable at Hansen Creek. Nikonos V 20 mm w 2 YS-50 strobes, Bruce Argyle, July 16, 1999. |
Bullfrog Area: Water temperature 78 degrees at the surface. Visibility about about 15 feet away from the high-traffic areas. Camping and restrooms, marina, store, lodge. You can reach a couple of dive sites from the shore, but often jet-skiers or boaters are using these areas. Best bet is to head out in your boat to find your own cove. Look for a quiet canyon with rock walls and little traffic.
| Iceberg Canyon: This was some of the best diving we
encountered. Mid-way between the mouth and end of the creek, the visibility was great. We
pulled up to a small cove in the main creek channel at GPS N 37° 18.443' W 110° 44.682'.
The 79-degree water was comfy for diving without a wet suit, although a couple of our
divers got a tad chilly at 30 feet. View of the UtahDiving.com houseboat in Iceberg Canyon. Photo Bruce Argyle, July 17, 1999. |
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Visibility was excellent at 30 feet. Catfish, carp, bluegill, and bass were plentiful. The carp were somewhat shy, but the bluegill and bass seemed curious about the divers. Many fish were within easy snorkeling depth, and did not spook when approached by snorkelers. (Depth here was 150 feet according to our doppler, so we did not go deep.) |
Mark Morby provides the following description of Iceberg Canyon: "I did a wall dive by the end of the canyon. The visibility increased the enjoyment of the dive, with only 15 feet of visibility it made the 80 ft. dive seem like an ocean dive. When the trees came up from the bottom it looked like pictures you see from the titanic. I ran into a school of stripers around the 50 ft mark. By following the creek bed I was able to finish the dive right by the beach."
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Escalante River: About 2 miles up the river, the
visibility drops dramatically, as algae grows in the nutrient-rich water. Camping spots
are somewhat limited, but we found a few good houseboat tie-ups. Our kids loved
snorkelling over the rock shelf up a small side canyon (on your right as you head
up-river) at GPS N 37° 20.772' W 110° 55.078'. Two kids snorkel near our ski boat in a small canyon off the Escalante. Photo July 19, 1999, Bruce Argyle. |
| There weren't a lot of fish compared to other canyons (such as Hansen and
Iceberg), but there were a few small bass in the shallows, a couple of big hunker
largemouths deep, and a couple of bluegill. Visibility was only fair at 15-20 feet,
decreasing to around 12 feet at depth. We dropped down a wall and went under a few
overhangs. The bottom was a surreal landscape of moss-covered trees at 80 feet. Surface
temperature 77 degrees, 69 at depth. These unusual colonial organisms dotted many areas of vertical underwater cliff. Each was about 12 inches across. |
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The Coves at Wahweap (information from Ben Borup): You
can shore dive in this area. There is daytime parking here but no camping. There's a
planned entry/exit area with a dive ladder, with a hot hike from the parking area. Early
morning has the best visibility. (Visibility here isn't as good as at Bullfrog due to dirt
shorelines and heavy traffic.) Scuba under the ledges where people cliff-jump and pick up watches. There are bathroom facilities. Choose from several campgrounds at Wahweap. The nearest Scuba shop is Twin Fin Scuba in Page Arizona 12 miles away. Treasure hunting. Mike Engberson does a little light reading at 80 feet. Photo Bruce Argyle, Nikonos V 20 mm, July 20, 1999. |
Getting to Bullfrog: Click here for map.
From Ogden, Salt Lake, or Provo, Route 1 -- take I-15 south to Spanish Fork then proceed
east up Spanish Fork Canyon on US-6/US-89. Stay on US-6, which joins US-191 in Helper. At
I-70, turn WEST (right) and go 7 miles to U-24 southbound. In Hanksville, leave U-24 to
turn left (south) on U-95. 21 miles later, turn left on U-276 to Bullfrog.
Bullfrog Route 2 -- take I-15 south to Scipio. Exit southbound on US-50. In Salina, get on
I-70 eastbound. Exit on U-24 and drive south to Hanksville, then pick up US-95. 21 miles
later, turn right on U-276.
Getting to Wahweap: Route1 -- Get onto U-95 southbound in Hanksville as
above. After Natural Bridges National Monument, turn south (left) on U-261. Continue
southbound when you arrive at US-163. Pick up US-160 westbound, then exit to A-98 and
drive to Page. (This is a long trip!)
Wahweap Route 2 -- Take I-15 south through Cedar City, then exit on U-17
eastbound. At La Verkin, go south on U-9 3 miles to Hurricane, then go east on U-59, which
becomes A-389 at the Arizona border. In Fredonia, turn south on Alt-US-89. When you reach
the real US-89 at Bitter Springs, go north to the dam and on to Wahweap. (Alternate: in
Fredonia, turn north on Alt-US-89 11 miles to Kanab, then take US-89 eastbound to
Wahweap.)
GPS Navigation Coordinates
Dominic Bria prepares for a night dive on the deck of the houseboat. Note the "mountain biker shorts" tan line! Iceberg Canyon, July 17, 1999. |
Seven Mile Creek GPS N 37° 37.496' W 110° 34.084' Warm Springs Canyon GPS N 37° 36.500' W 110° 35.955' Cedar Canyon GPS N 37° 36.193' W 110° 35.524' Knowles Canyon GPS N 37° 34.652' W 110° 35.571' Smith Fork GPS N 37° 33.695' W 110° 37.877' Hansen Creek GPS N 37° 32.296' W 110° 39.201' Crystal Springs Canyon GPS N 37° 32.220' W 110° 38.743' Moqui Canyon GPS N 37° 29.029' W 110° 38.436' Bullfrog Marina GPS N 37° 31.517' W 110° 43.893' Hall's Crossing Marina GPS N 37° 28.060' W 110° 42.914' Lake Canyon GPS N 37° 25.147' W 110° 42.095' Annie's Canyon GPS N 37° 22.942' W 110° 44.435' Slick Rock Canyon GPS N 37° 20.808' W 110° 43.919' Iceberg Canyon GPS N 37° 19.818' W 110° 45.897' The Rincon GPS N 37° 18.696' W 110° 46.991' Long Canyon GPS N 37° 20.772' W 110° 51.145' Brown's Canyon GPS N 37° 20.923' W 110° 51.590' Escalante River GPS N 37° 17.530' W 110° 52.420' Ribbon Canyon GPS N 37° 15.242' W 110° 51.925' Cottonwood Canyon GPS N 37° 14.750' W 110° 52.674' LLewelyn Gulch GPS N 37° 13.403' W 110° 53.156' San Jaun River GPS N 37° 10.741' W 110° 53.600' Reflection Canyon GPS N 37° 10.814' W 110° 54.653' Hidden Passage Canyon GPS N 37° 10.575' W 110° 55.604' Anasazi Canyon GPS N 37° 8.822' W 110° 56.411' Twilight Canyon GPS N 37° 7.798' W 110° 57.575' Forbidding Canyon GPS N 37° 6.869' W 110° 58.426' Rainbow Bridge (via F.Can) GPS N 37° 4.635' W 110° 57.854' Cathedral Canyon GPS N 37° 6.653' W 111° 1.111' Driftwood Canyon GPS N 37° 7.069' W 111° 1.265' |
Lake Powell Divers, we need your help! We're trying to provide accurate information about Utah's dive sites. And, of course, your fellow divers want to know whether a dive site is worthwhile. If you've ever dived Lake Powell, please give us some feedback by clicking on the following link. Found a GREAT spot to dive? Send us an accurate description, including GPS coordinates if possible.
