See all 2 routes on Badfish Creek
Wisconsin | Southern Wisconsin
Badfish Creek
County Highway A to Old Stage Road
Check current paddling conditions for this Badfish Creek route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at the County Highway A landing west of Gallagher Lane and take out at Old Stage Road before the downstream favorite Badfish section. This upper link is worthwhile when wood is clear and the Cooksville gauge is in the normal Badfish window.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
County Highway A Badfish Creek landingCounty Highway A is a public landing with off-road parking, but WRT and 2024 comments still describe the bridge-area bank as potentially steep or weedy. Inspect the landing before unloading.
Take-out
Old Stage Road canoe/kayak landingOld Stage Road is the cleanest take-out and connects to the downstream route family. Use the maintained landing rather than nearby private banks or informal roadside pullouts.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- County Highway A is a public landing with off-road parking, but WRT and 2024 comments still describe the bridge-area bank as potentially steep or weedy. Inspect the landing before unloading.
- Old Stage Road is the cleanest take-out and connects to the downstream route family. Use the maintained landing rather than nearby private banks or informal roadside pullouts.
- The route passes channelized banks, wildlife-area frontage, and private land. Stay in the public waterway and use only known access points.
Watch for
- Fresh deadfall, sweepers, and duck-unders, especially near Old Stone Road and after wind or storms.
- Fast current around narrow bends above 200 cfs and shallow riffle bumps at lower levels.
- Wastewater-effluent water-quality context, possible post-rain sewage concerns, wild parsnip or weedy banks, and cold-water exposure outside summer.
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Badfish Creek Near Cooksville, WI |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 51 cfs to 150 cfs |
| Low threshold | 0 cfs |
| High threshold | 301 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Badfish Creek Hwy A gauge guide |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Route-specific guideCounty Highway A to Old Stage Road, 4.2 mi
Wisconsin River Trips documents the exact route, access pair, gradient, trip level, hazards, logjam context, and route overview split.
- Gauge ladder51-150 cfs broad target; 301+ cfs no-go
WRT ties the route to Badfish Creek near Cooksville and publishes the same creek-wide ladder used by the downstream Badfish family.
- Public put-in supportCounty Highway A landing
Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District / Friends of Badfish Creek Watershed describe the County Highway A landing west of Gallagher Lane with off-road parking, map/poster, picnic table, and bike rack.
- Current gauge check107 cfs / 5.43 ft at 2026-07-16 23:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned this provisional direct-gauge reading during this automation run, inside the WRT broad target window.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Badfish Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Badfish Creek?
Paddle Today watches Badfish Creek Near Cooksville, WI and treats 51 cfs to 150 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Badfish Creek route start and end?
This route starts at County Highway A Badfish Creek landing and ends at Old Stage Road canoe/kayak landing, about About 4.2 mi on the water.
Is this Badfish Creek route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.