How build a small dock on the lake?

Question

Hi,
There is a small lake in the back of my house and I would like to build a small dock for fishing purposes. I can make two posts (to support) on land but how do I make another two posts that is in the lake (about 3 feet out from land and the water depth is about only 1ft at that point)? How do I dig in the water to make the post and to keep it from going down in time? Thanks!

Answer 1

If you don’t want to go the floating dock route, you have two options one is pounding in a post(s), the other is weighted. Since you are not at a deep depth you should be able to just pound in a post(s) to support your dock, you will want to check and see if you need permits/permission to install something like this and how deep it needs to be. The other way might be to use a concrete weight; they make concrete foundations for decks you can attach a post to one of those. Cheaper even than that is a five gallon bucket with a post and concrete in it. If you go the weighted route you might have to deal with shifting of the lake bed, but not if you go the pounded route, but you will need to get it in deep to have something sturdy.

Answer 2

Hi have you thought about something other then digging in the water?

Around where i live we have a couple of docks on the lake and they were built with oil drums under the deck, to float, and two planks at an angle on the side of the water in case it slides they drag the sand until the deck stops.They are anchored to the ground on the shore end.

Hope it made sense.

If you need any more info just ask.

Answer 3

You don't have to have posts in the water.



Get some old car tires and attach them to each other with wire, so they are flat. You now have a flotation device.



Then build your dock, and attach it to the top of the floatation device..



Anchor the dock to the 2 land posts. Use chains leaving some play to accommodate the rise and fall of the water level in the lake.



This is the method used to build rafts. So you are building a raft, and using it as a dock, by anchoring it to the land.



If you are only going out 3' and the water is only 1' deep, you could always just wear boots. I would go out 6 feet, so there's plenty of room for me, my chair, my tackle box, my ice chest, and a friend.

Answer 4

drain the lake! nah joke their are these things you use to put post in to support trees and things but i dont know there name! it comes over the post with two handles and you lift it and bang it down!

Answer 5

wow. you're lucky...lake in your back yard! you may want to go to home depot or lowe's and browse the do-it-yourself books or find one at the library - that's seems like an intricate task to perform. you may also want to check if you need any permits to build something like that. good luck!

Answer 6

u can