| Difficulty | III-IV(V) |
| Length | 4.2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 40 fpm |
| Gauge | Emory River at Oakdale, Tn |
| Flow Rate as of 59 minutes | 231 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 30, 2026 |
Lower Crooked Fork is a blast, and offers solid intermediate paddlers a little bit of boulder action, and a lot of classic bedrock sliding that is fun and creeky at low water, and gets big and powerful as the level rises. It flows through a remote, pretty little canyon with lots of sights along the way, if you can take your eyes off the water long enough to notice! If you aren't up for the harder Class IV-V stuff on the Upper Crooked Fork, but still want to have a great Class III+(IV) experience after recent rains in the Obed drainage, the Lower Crooked Fork is a nice option. Creekboats are fine, but if you're comfortable at the grade and want to get your surf on, this run is stellar for play as the level rises.
Let's talk water quality for a minute here. The Crooked Fork is pretty gross. In addition to a formerly strip-mined, logged watershed that drains a prison as well as agricultural lands, the put-in is at a waste water treatment facility. Most veteran Crooked Fork paddlers haven't suffered any noticeable illness, but it's worth noting that the water quality is not great. If it wasn't for this detail and the water quality was good, the Crooked Fork may well be considered the Big Sandy of the south, a classic, gorgeous run with a little bit of everything.
Flows: While the Emory gauge linked can be a barometer that can indicate the likelihood of ample flow in the Crooked Fork, the only real way to know if there's water in the creek is to drive to the Upper Crooked Fork put-in off Hwy 27 and check the visual gauge on the downstream side of the river-right bridge pylon. Here's a characterization of flows:
3.5-4.0 feet - extremely low flow for lower, too low for upper
4.0-4.5 feet - low to good low for lower, 4.5 is minimum for upper
4.5-5.0 feet - medium low to medium for lower, 5.0 is good low for upper
5.0-5.5 feet - medium to high for lower, 5.5 is a nice medium for upper
5.5-6.0 feet - high for lower, m
Park in the small spot on the downstream, river-right side of the bridge over the Crooked Fork. Park to make room for other cars.
This 15ft waterfall can be run almost anywhere, but the common line is in the center over a small curler which lines you up for a rock finger. The extreme right side of the landing zone is shallow. Caution: The center line is easy to boof so watch your landing. The far left is gaining more favor in recent years, but also benefits from some flow.
Many people portage this drop while others run it clean. Gauge should be 4 ft or higher to run this.
Caution: The boulders in the center of the river are severely undercut. While there is a clean right line, it is exposed to these boulders, so most, if they run this drop at all, run the left line.
Boof the left side of this 8 ft ledge, landing in a foot or two of water. Then, slide down a short slide for a final 4 ft drop into a pool.
You'll see a big boulder in the center of the river half way through the drop with a big pillow on it. Not only is this undercut, but its actually 2 rocks forming a sieve. There is a third boulder as well, just to the right and it is undercut in a BIG way! Strong/gutsy/confident boaters peel out of the eddy ferrying right into the center and across the face of the pillowed rock into an eddy. This is a pretty cool move.
The right line is clean but high consequence Class V. Boof right and drive right to stay safe if you're hitting this line.
The rapid just below Lower Potter Falls is dechannelized, steep, and pushes into a boulder pile center/right at the bottom that is dangerous and sometimes has wood. The line is left of center, trying to keep several shallow rocks from deflecting you river-right and into this boulder pile. If Lower Crooked Fork is pushing your game, just take out below Upper Potter Falls, and walk the whole set of the entrance to Lower Potter, Lower Potter Falls, and this rapid, on an old grade on the right, and slide in below to keep things mostly Class III-III+ on this run.
One of the best bedrock rapids on the run, this one is on a long bend to the left. Punch or surf big diagonal waves and holes, but push left at the bottom to avoid an undercut bank on the right, which most of the flow pushes into.
In the entrance it can seem all too much like any other bedrock rapid upstream, but looking further out reveals more gradient, and a raised ridge of rock in the middle of the river. While running right is possible, the better line is left of the dividing rock, making sure to be far enough left so as to not collide with the ridge of rock itself. The tongue moving through here is big fun. Downstream is one more bedrock ledge, and then the big pool above Sticky Ledge.
This Ledge is the next to last rapid before the Emory confluence, and is just downstream of Divided Highway. A calm pool with an overhanging low bluff on the left, and a substantial horizon line, signal this drop. Scouting and portaging should be done on the right. This ledge is river-wide, but the far right side is a broken slide with no hydraulic. At medium to high flows, paddlers can sneak the bad hole by running this right side. At low water it's a doable portage down this slide. The entire rest of the ledge is a very sticky ledge hole that drops 4 feet, and is dangerous at most flows, but particularly as the water comes up. The hydraulic also tends to kick into the undercut shelf on river-left. Know thyself, and know thy boof. Safety is very difficult to set, but it's possible for the first paddler/portager to run the drop, eddy left, then walk up the bank to set a rope. The boof is best just right of center over a curler.
A busy, rocky Class III+ rapid leads down to the confluence with the Emory. Below is 2 miles of fast moving Class I-II and flatwater to the take out upstream river-right of the Camp Austin Bridge.
Take out at least 100 yards upstream of the bridge, at a sandy beach on river-right. It's possible to drive down and leave a car in the woods above this beach with a moderate clearance vehicle, but check road conditions from the top before committing.
Mar 19, 2009
One of my favorite runs in the Obed System. I wouldn't do it lower than 3.4' and if you do it that low you will be doing some knuckle walking, but still worth it if you've never done it before. 4.0-4.3 is a good level for the intermediate first timer.
The river at the put-in bridge gauge is very narrow and a few inches on the gauge don't make much difference at Potters Falls. The highest I've run it is maybe 4.4' on the upper part and 5.5 on the lower part. We have run it as low as 3.4 more than once.
Nov 1, 2005
Posted for Karl Whipp:
Karl Whipp 2005-01-17 15:54:31
'Exiting the pool (below Lower Potters), stay river left and catch an eddy. You?ll see a big boulder in the center of the river half way through the next drop with a big pillow on it. You want to peel out of the eddy ferrying right, into the center and across the face of the pillowed rock into an eddy. This is a pretty cool move. I think the rock may be undercut, so don?t take it too lightly.'
Not only is this undercut, but its actually 2 rocks forming a sieve with wood jammed in it. There is a third boulder as well, just to the right and it is undercut in a BIG way!
Be careful out there.