i have a 22 acre lake that feeds a hog barn and the question i have is: how do i make a boat ramp where i can get my bass boat in and out. ive already gotten a back-ho in there and made a good slope down to

about 4 foot of water, now i just need to know how to keep the trailer axle from sinking down into the mud.

any ideas would be great.

maybe a big sheet of metal would work.not sure but its worth a try

Gravel would probably work.  Maybe try try laying down a foundation of river sand first.

T-Bone

I hate to say this but you may not be able to correct the problem.

Some ponds have soft bottoms and you may just have to put up with having the trailer wheels sink into the mud.

As long as you can pull the trailer out with your vehicle you can launch your boat.

Of course, anything you can do to help harden the bottom of your ramp will be helpful but I would think that the gravel, rock, etc, would just sink into the soft bottom sooner or later.

Can you put a layer of concrete blocks or bricks down to help form a solid base and then cover it with rocks?

Maybe some local builders or contractors can give you some help with the materials you can use and how to set them.

Good luck.  Let us know what you do and if it works.

i have a 22 acre lake that feeds a hog barn and the question i have is: how do i make a boat ramp where i can get my bass boat in and out. ive already gotten a back-ho in there and made a good slope down to

about 4 foot of water, now i just need to know how to keep the trailer axle from sinking down into the mud.

any ideas would be great.

Since you live on a farm, I'll assume you have access to a backhoe or equivalent equipment.  With that said, here's a thought...

Dig a section away from the edge of the pond where you want the ramp to go.  This will look like a small channel leading to the pond.  Leave enough dirt between the ramp and the pond to act as a temporary dam.  Put down whatever material you want for the bottom of the ramp (this area should be readily accessable since the channel doesn't extend all the way to the pond yet.)  Once your happy with the grade of the ramp, dig out the rest of the dirt closest to the pond and flood the new ramp.    

s

the slickest thing I have ever seen done was done by indiana DNR...

they poured a concrete slab up on land and then pushed into place with a tractor...

but the gravel will be a heck of alot cheaper though you will likely have to add some every year for awhile.

There are many different ways to skin a cat or build a boat ramp.  It will depend on what tools, skills, and lake conditions you have (muddy you said).  It will also matter how much you want to spend and longevity desired.

For anything you want to last 20+ years you will need concrete.

Gravel by itself may not last too long unless you use a lot of it.  This is dependent on how soft the mud is so I don't want to take a guess.  If you go the gravel rout check into recycled crushed concrete if you have any in your area.

How big or heavy of a boat do you intend to launch?

I like ShellBack's idea of digging a hole next to the lake.  Then building the ramp in that hole.  Then digging the lake to the ramp.  You will need a pump to keep the hole dry while you build the ramp.

The push slab method DELee mentioned is economical if you have a big enough tractor or back ho.  It will save time and fuel, but if anything hangs up underwater you may not be able to see what the problem is.

i just sent an email to the corp of engineers just to see what they would say. im worried about dumping gravel because of all the gravel dust that would wash out into the lake.

id like to be able to launch a nitro 929 but at the very least a 884 savage.

how about a quick fix with some p.t. plywood?

Concrete can be poured underwater by someone who knows what they're doing.