Site Six Fishing Pier

Site Six is an excellent fishing spot with a handicapped-accessible fishing pier, fish cleaning station, restrooms, a small beach area, and a small picnic area with a BBQ.

History

Information provided is credited to our friends at River Scene Magazine.

In 1942 when the United Stated entered WWII, the U.S. Army scouted for and established airfields nationwide for the purpose of training pilots and aircrew. Seven emergency airfield sites were developed in Mohave County and along the Colorado River, including what's now known as Site Five and Site Six.

In 1942, the US military built the Havasu Auxiliary Airfield #6 to serve as an emergency landing strip as part of its World War II defense plan. In 1943, the military expanded this airfield to include barracks, officers' quarters and a mess hall.

This location soon was used as an R&R location (rest and relocation) for Air Force personnel; with fishing, swimming, boating, skeet shooting, and hiking readily available for soldiers on leave. B-17 bombers landed weekly, dropping off a new load of personnel and picking up the previous week's personnel to be returned to their bases.

Intending to reopen and develop it in the future, the military closed the facility in November 1946—unaware, however, that this property was privately owned by Corinne and Victor Spratt of Needles, Calif. the entire time!

The Spratts developed their land into a resort, and converted the existing military buildings into living quarters, a grocery store, and bar/restaurant. Military personnel continued to visit Lake Havasu while on leave, and the Spratts set aside one of the existing barracks specifically for the troops.

For those with a keen eye, 50-caliber bullet casings can still be found in the dirt in and around Site Six!

After the War

Site Six was eventually purchased from the Spratts by Robert P. McCulloch as a test center for his McCulloch outboard motor line of products. He built the building adjacent to today's launch ramp to test his outboard motors.

Today

Today, Site Six is a busy public recreational boating facility with the only "free" public launch ramp within the city, along with courtesy docks, restrooms and a popular fishing pier. To enhance the fishing, a made-made structure was placed beneath the water to provide a habitat to attract a wide variety of fish species.

In 2022, the local Bureau of Land Management submerged a retired A6 Intruder aircraft by the Site Six fishing docks with the assistance of local divers and crane operators. The purpose of sinking the old Vietnam-era twinjet plane was to create a fish habitat that benefits not just local aquatic life but also local fishermen and divers.

The A6 Intruder, according to Navy History and Heritage Command, is a 14-ton all-weather attack bomber whose primary purpose was the suppression of surface-to-air missiles. The Intruder, used by the Navy and Marine Corps, first entered service in February 1963 and was eventually phased out in the 1990s, according to Today's News-Herald: Lake Havasu City's local newspaper.

The plane was prepped and decontaminated by a volunteer squad of marines from Camp Pendleton, who spent a week and a half stripping the electronics and paint off the plane.

Managed by: Lake Havasu City

Accessibility: Boat, vehicle or by foot

Distance from Thompson Bay: 1.55 nautical miles (1.8 miles)