The Bounty of Backwater Wing Dams

EVER NOTICE HOW driving a few blocks past the big-name chain restaurants and trying one of the local hole-in-the-wall joints often delivers a surprisingly appealing blend of quality and ambiance? No diss to the national brands, but longer wait times and often higher costs can make those B-teamers mighty appealing — kind of like a back-channel wing dam.

Designed to keep a river funneled into its main channel, wing dams aid in navigational efficiency, while also adding fish-friendly features. Main-river structures get most of the attention, but don’t overlook the ones installed in smaller tributaries, as these rock walls can be your ace in the hole when the main-river fish play hard to get.

THE ATTRACTION

Bassmaster Elite Series angler Garrett Paquette of Michigan notes that both scenarios have a place in his overall river game plan, but there’s a definite logic to when he’ll depart the main strip. Current is key in either deal, but those back channels can offer seasonally