4 1/2 oards is actual still a fair amount of water in there ... fairly common to be there or even a board or two lower lower in late steelie season. The lowest I can remember taking my bokat down the bottokm end was about one board, but know that many people have done it lower than that. One board is probably as low as I'd take the hard boat down ... use my Puma after that 'cuz it's just too much of a pain otherwise. Should be able to safely do it at a board if you know the trail. By the way, boards are the number of concrete slabs at the Maxfield Rd launch that are covered with water at a given height reading.