Ok so I have partially convinced my dad to buy me and my brother a Jon Boat off of Craigslist (sacrificing christmas and possibly birthday). I was wondering how much HP a motor would need to have to go safely on the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. Thanks.

300 hp should do the trick

Never been there how big is the boat?

What name brand etc..

Helps to know what we are dealing with.

That's gonna depend on the size jon and what part of the river.  There are area's a 12ft jon with a 5hp would do fine, then there are places that will get you killed.  A 1436 with 9.9 does well in some areas, and a 25 does better in others (I know, most of those are only rated for 10 - 15 hp).  A 1442 with a 25 is a safer bet to get you through a lot of places.

That's gonna depend on the size jon and what part of the river. There are area's a 12ft jon with a 5hp would do fine, then there are places that will get you killed. A 1436 with 9.9 does well in some areas, and a 25 does better in others (I know, most of those are only rated for 10 - 15 hp). A 1442 with a 25 is a safer bet to get you through a lot of places.

Alright thanks a lot. I think my dad wants a 14 foot Jon with a 25 HP outboard for maybe an occassional trip to Lake Michigan.

I live on Lake Erie and unless you are behind the safety of a break wall I wouldn't go out on any of the great lakes in anything under a 19' boat. Even on the nicest days the smaller boats do get pitched quite a bit and I have seen plenty of bass boats  take rolling waves over the top from ferrys or other large ships. One year I was at Put in Bay on Erie and out in a 16' rowboat with a 25 horse engine. I was never so glad to be back on land. Thought I was going to die! And this was with a larger V type hull. Waves and weather change fast on the lakes and every year we have dozens of people killed because they didn't have the right equipment.

That's gonna depend on the size jon and what part of the river. There are area's a 12ft jon with a 5hp would do fine, then there are places that will get you killed. A 1436 with 9.9 does well in some areas, and a 25 does better in others (I know, most of those are only rated for 10 - 15 hp). A 1442 with a 25 is a safer bet to get you through a lot of places.

Alright thanks a lot. I think my dad wants a 14 foot Jon with a 25 HP outboard for maybe an occassional trip to Lake Michigan.

A 14 ft. jon boat on Lake Michigan ? Are you serious ?

That's gonna depend on the size jon and what part of the river. There are area's a 12ft jon with a 5hp would do fine, then there are places that will get you killed. A 1436 with 9.9 does well in some areas, and a 25 does better in others (I know, most of those are only rated for 10 - 15 hp). A 1442 with a 25 is a safer bet to get you through a lot of places.

Alright thanks a lot. I think my dad wants a 14 foot Jon with a 25 HP outboard for maybe an occassional trip to Lake Michigan.

A 14 ft. jon boat on Lake Michigan ? Are you serious ?

Hahaha thats the same thing I was thinking, but he says he has a spot where his friend lives that it'll do just fine.

A 14ft Jon would do alright in certain area of lake Michigan. I lived on lake Huron for most of my life and every spring we would night fish for walleyes in the bays in a 14ft Jon, no problem. I would not even consider venturing out of a bay or from behind a break wall though.