Planning on putting my 18 ft pontoon on Frenck Creek. Shaws looks to be the best area to do this. Does anyone know how far I can roam up and down stream from the launch without grounding my 9.9
Many Thanks
Jerry

When canoeing the northern part of French around Saegertown I base the amount I have to get out and push by the Meadville USGS Stream Gauge. At 2 1/2 feet I know I will not have to get out at all but lower than that and I will get wet feet. I am hoping I can develop some kind of correlation for the Shaws section also. I also know the French changes from year to year so I guess the best thing for me to do is check it out and carry a spare prop. I can post my results here if anyone is interested.
Jerry

Were always interested.

French Creek is not a place for pontoons.  During high water you might get away floating it around Shaw's Landing but fishing is usually very poor at those levels.  The last pontoon I saw on the creek was a few years ago when a guy put in around there and planned to float to Pgh.  Not his best idea!  By some miracle he bounced off rocks until he made it to Utica.  That's all the pontoons could take.    Last seen, a local took pity on him &  drove him and his two passengers someplace.  A couple weeks later he returned and somehow got the pontoon out of the water.  
 
Just an FYI!  Good luck!

You should be fine from shaws, up to almost across from station 4, in this area the creek becomes bottlenecked and unless they were flushed out lately theres a tangle of trees in this spot. Downstream you are fine until you get past the pumpkin farm down almost behind the big church. Granted like others said watch for trees and go slow!! If you ever see a couple young guys swinging on the rope swing across from the pumpkin farm stop and say HI! Good luck!

Steel Junkie

You should be fine from shaws, up to almost across from station 4, in this area the creek becomes bottlenecked and unless they were flushed out lately theres a tangle of trees in this spot. Downstream you are fine until you get past the pumpkin farm down almost behind the big church. Granted like others said watch for trees and go slow!! If you ever see a couple young guys swinging on the rope swing across from the pumpkin farm stop and say HI! Good luck!

Thank you. Excellent information. I will probably run it in my canoe or flat bottom first, but will definately have my pontoon there sometime this summer.