Our lower pool is rocky and shallow below Sterling Il. You need a jet drive on the lower pool around sterling when the river is at normal level or below, around 4000 fps is the line, below that and stay off the lower pool unless you have a jet drive like I do. But when the water is that low fishing is pretty slow anyways. Otherwise you have to know where the channel is further down river or on other pools.
They do need to dredge the Rock Falls ramp area. When using the river around here one needs to watch river levels closely. The Sinnissippi pool doesn’t change levels as much, but it needs to be up to get into any backwaters. If they would put a larger tube in at the bayou opening that would open up to small boats & kayaks and open a lot of new fishing waters. I think it can be done without being major.
Once you get below rt 30 bridge, there is deeper water, but there are some shallow rock areas to watch out for. Once you get up from the Nelson RR bridge, it’s deeper water all the way to the dam at Dixon. The pools above Dixon can also be shallow and rocky but most of the pools have deep enough water to get around. River Gauges
