Northwest Fishing Reports

What weight anchor will hold a 16' old Smokercraft with new 40 HP Jet on the Skagit River with average river flow?

There is a lot more to it than just the weight of the anchor. You need to take into account the length of the rode and the chain, type of bottom and the current. Check out this site for some good tips on anchoring do's and dont's and techniques.

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I use a 20lb navy anchor and about 4' of chain on my 16' Lowe deep vee. Never had a problem with it slipping. I got the anchor from Cabelas.

Not to hijack the thread, but I will anyway. Suggestions on the type of anchor for the lower Snohomish? I have a slip ring that holds me fine on sandy bottoms in a moderate tide, but haven't tried it in the river. Boat is 21 foot fiberglass.

Kodacatchers - Cabelas makes a 28lb navy anchor similar to the one I use, but heavier for around $60. I believe the general rule is 1lb of anchor per foot of boat. I've only fished the lower Snohomish once, but the flows didn't seem as bad as in the Skagit. I used to use the slip ring style also but had problems with it not digging in soft mud/ sand out in the bay. Never had an issue with the Navy style anchor since I switched.

Anchoring in the river is very different than anchoring is still water. The first question is upper or lower Skagit? Lower Skagit you would be looking for a Columbia river type with a good 300' of line and chain and a 16' boat your looking for a 35 to 50 pound anchor. Larry's post is good for big high volume moving water and is al about the Columbia River style anchor. For the upper, there's no substitute for a rocket launcher and a rocket type anchor. With a rocket launcher you want a very heavy line but you only need about 50 to 75 feet max. I would use nothing less than a 55 or 60 pound anchor. Biggest thing to remember is no rivers are the same and the anchoring techniques change drastically for the conditions. Drop a Columbia anchor in the wrong place an you're never getting it back. To really make any recommendation we need to know where you plan on anchoring. This is not a one size fits all.

Ya right anchor right area. I had to bury my bow and use all of my 350votex motor to get my Columbia river anchors out a few times. If your wanting to splash the cash get a lee anchor lock that is interchangeable for different anchors.