Launch at decker creek has been blocked and closed as a boat launch.

Trash, theft, no common sense parking and rampant poor attitudes are to blame says the landowner.

Thank you! to the 30 or so drifters this last Sunday for solidifying the action in the landowners head.

it seemed like it didn't really become a launch until a few years ago. looked like the place was getting torn up pretty bad the last time i was up that way.

was nice, back when one could drive in and park along the river just below the creek.

I live about two miles up the road from decker creek and dive by it daily. Have been hearing about it shutting down for this past year or so and that it was happening soon. Over the summer I ha a pickup truck load of garbage that I hauled from the launch and to the dump. About 20 tires that all had been cut to get wheel out for scrap.

Hasn't been any big dumps there since bit lots of small items left by fishermen which starts to build up.

At times it was very difficult to make it through there for my wife and I and have almost hit vehicles when they don't look while pulling out.

From what I've heard is that the landowner lives out if the area and was tired of getting letters from the county about the nonsense there.

There reason why people started launching there in te first place was due to a large log jam blocking the entire river just below the park. The log jam has been starting to break up over the past year so launching at Schafer May become the launch again.

I haven't gotten a solid answer on it yet but ya, I have seen that access go to complete shtt in just the few weeks it's been something to target

I seem to get a garbage bag full of crap every time from just around the parking lot, don't even feel like I make a dent in it.
If that access goes that'll be it for up there, the park isn't floatable and more woody is ready to collect in the jam there with a high bank on river right armoring it in...the ranger assured there would be absolutely no in river woody debris removal to make it floatable so I imagine a couple land owners stand to turn a decent dime if this closure is true

……..or to avoid the bull$hit Discover Pass sticker thrust upon us launching at Schaefer State Park.

Really going to change the dynamic of the E. Fork float with Cook Cr. bar gated years back and now Decker Cr.

Same issues on the Wynoochee. People just don't learn.

Decker creek became a launch before the discover pass came into existence.

Just drove past decker. Huge stump in the middle of launch. Probably will be more added to it as a boat can still be pushed around it. No signs posted yet.

There you have it folks

There was a lot of boats coming down on Sunday. I couldn't believe how many there were. Seems like every time you turned around there was another one coming by.

Feel bad for folks who try to do the right thing when it comes to the way they treat property. So many slobs who don't give a crap about anyone except themselves.

I was on the river Sunday just fishing off of a gravel bar with a couple of buds. Nearly all of the driftboaters who came through were cool enough to just row through the hole we were fishing. 90% of them had to cast on the way, but that is okay. I wouldn't do it, but it doesn't bother me to share at all.

The point is nobody I saw looked like they type who would trash a boat ramp. I'm sure a big part of the problem is not hard-core fishermen, but people going down there to snag fish and party. The other big part is the parking debacle along the road, that is probably where a lot of the complaints came from. Which lead to the situation we have now.

That's nifty - another access point lost.

Wow, not many remember that.......it was perfect place to launch....never worried about anyone messing with the rigs. I used that "place" between 85 - 90....lot's. It was a time when not many driftboats or sleds were on that section of river.....to the old West Fork boat launch.

Wow....with no place to launch and not much bank access, property owners will have lot's of water to fish.....

I was down there last summer chucking bugs for cutthroat and came back up and saw tweakers dumping a bunch of crap. There is no reasoning with em.

I'm just waiting to be fishing at the corner at the park and watch a boat go down with chain saws. I won't call the ranger or cops...because I dont know how I feel about moving a few trees to get safely down river. Some say it's horriable and some say it's not going to hurt anything. I'm willing to listen to what people think on the subject, but for now I really don't care either way.

Is it still ok to walk in?

Any options at this point? I bought a drift boat last year, and I usually fish this stretch of river. I would hate to see what the increased traffic on the lower river will look like, or on adjacent rivers.
I would be willing to pay, if I knew it would help keep things open and clean.

Seen a vehicle parked there at 4pm today. Must've walked in. Probably be plenty of people parking and walking down the creek until signs post...which will probably get ripped down right away. Plenty of rigs parked at the top of the hill before dipping down to decker today.

Since I drive by a couple times daily, there's been many times where I have seen freshly broken out vehicle windows with no one around. Won't catch me parking there. I'll leave my rig at home and walk down there if I need to, but I stay away from that snag fest anyway.

I like it when steelhead season comes around, most of the dipsh!ts have cleared out by then.

Down the east Satsop at "Cook Creek" there is the Kelly bar which is gated. But I believe you can buy a key from the owner just across the road. Would be launching a few miles down river from Decker but its still up in the system more. I have launched a lot just below cook creek of the side of the road where people park and walk in. That can be a crappy launch though, gotta jack knife your trailer to keep out of the road, and its pretty steep.

I first used the Decker Creek site after the Park folks started to padlock their log gate preventing an early morning launch. If we had a couple of boats we would manhandle the boats over the fence on the upriver W. side of the bridge. If not, launched at Decker. Did have a gas tank lock punched out and gas siphoned there once during the first gas crisis if that dates it for you all.

Not to say that all fishermen are perfect but big beer parties and tweekers seem to generate the worst messes. Unfortunately property owners can't be there 24/7 so this is what it comes down to.

Schaefer will become the new launch again... now that Decker is closed. Give it a couple of weeks and I'm sure the logjam below the park will be cut out.

It's a shame that we continue to lose access. Once lost, good luck getting it back.



Matt

I walked down there where Decker runs in to look at the chum snagfest one year and was taken aback by the 3-4 foot high pile of beer bottles and garbage that everyone was still contributing to, right on the gravel bar. The only place that pile of laziness and disregard was going was straight down river with the next freshet.

Sheafer Park would need the "Discover Pass"..........I think that fine is $121.00 if you don't have it......


Also think the Kelly Bar, above/at Cook Creek is now closed........no more pay for key......as I understand it.........but maybe wrong about that.

The log jam is impassable for sure. No one has floated it this year at all due to the blockage. Best launch downriver ......