A shallow water anchor system provides a single arm arrangement with a fixed end of the arm mounted to the transom of a boat and the distal end of the arm retaining a rod adapted to be buried into the bottom of a lake, estuary, or other shallow body of water. The fixed end of the arm includes a first sheave and the distal end of the arm includes a second sheave, with a cable under tension between the first and second sheaves. A hydraulic operating mechanism drives a sliding block clamped to the cable. A hydraulic pressure is applied to one side of the other of a hydraulic piston with a cylinder to drive the operating mechanism, the sliding block moves back and forth thereby moving the arm up and down in a rotary motion about a shaft on the fixed end of the arm. In the down position, the rod is embedded into the bottom. In the stowed position, the arm is oriented straight up in a vertical position.