Rowlett Creek
Ben Davis Rd to Pleasant Valley Rd (1.6 miles)
| Difficulty | II-III |
| Length | 1.6 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 7 fpm |
| Gauge | Rowlett Ck Nr Sachse, Tx |
| Flow Rate as of 31 minutes | 51 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | July 14, 2015 |
River Description
First Ledge:
Level
Description
500-1000 cfs
Shallow and scrapey, but there is good surf on river left after the main drop.
1000-1500 cfs
Much better level. Deep enough for squirts. Lots of play. Above the drop, a 30-foot-wide wave starts to form.
1500-2000 cfs
1st ledge gets big-- run it center or right of center. Above the drop, there is a great 30-foot-wide wave/hole.
2000-3000 cfs and above
Things start to get big at this level. Watch out for strainers along both banks.
Second Ledge:
Level
Description
500-1000 cfs
2nd ledge has lots of play, but it's very shallow at the last hole.
1000-1500 cfs
Surf everywhere at this level.
1500-2000 cfs
At these levels, the ledge is best run right of center. The hole in the middle starts to become a bit of a keeper.
2000-3000 cfs and above
The middle hole of the second ledge is best left alone. Boaters have watched this hole surf logs for 20 minutes. Run both ledges right of center.
General Description:
There are two natural ledges on this section of Rowlett Creek, with at least three play holes at each one. The First Ledge will be marked by about 70-100 meters of insignificant standing waves/fast water (and at levels above 2k, a small surf hole or two.) The meat of the drop is a two-tier affair: the first tier is a hole extending halfway across the river (more than halfway at higher levels.) This in itself is an excellent surfing hole. The one concern here is the next drop, a mere 20-30 meters downstream, which is probably the steepest drop of the run.
At levels above 2100-3000+ cfs, the last drop before the takeout (Second Ledges) should only be attempted by someone with solid Class IV paddling skills. There are numerous holes, essentially river-wide at higher levels. These holes produce large hydraulics with signi
...River Features
Put In
First Ledge
Second Ledges
Pipeline
This will pose a serious strainer hazard if Rowlett Creek is flowing at ~3000 cfs or higher.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a report1st ledge at around +4000cfs. Great fast surf wave. Sketchy eddy service. Sticky hole behind the wave.
Great hole but at this level you need to have someone watching out for huge logs coming down.
Lots of surfing to be had on Rowlett creek at this level
At this level its best to start left of center to miss the first strainer then quickly get in the center for the main drop. You can sneak it far right.
What you cant see in this photo is the hole above. At this level it was recirculating 18 inch in diameter and 20 feet long logs!!! I watched stuff surf in there for over 5 minutes. This is not a hole you want to be in. At this level run this rapid far right to avoid the middle hole!
This is one nasty hole you cant tell from the pic but trust me you dont want to be in it. This thing will surf huge logs for over 5 minutes. We watched it pull logs 15 feet back up stream just to surf them some more. A ride in this hole would be nasty with all the logs and other stuff it has in it. Run this far right then eddie out river left to surf the last hole.
This is the last of three play holes at the 2nd ledge.
These are the first waves you will see.
The best line is right down the center. Matt runs this a little to far left but makes it through no problem. You can sneak it on the right. 2 strainers in this on to look out for. 1. at the top in the center. 2. on the left right at the main drop.
Last hole in the 2nd ledge.
This is a great hole but remember the big drop is 12 feet below this hole so a quick roll is needed
This hole is about 25 feet wide!
Great hole for 360s
This hole is about 20 feet below Playhole#2