See all 2 routes on Beaver Dam River
Wisconsin | South Central Wisconsin
Beaver Dam River
County Road S / Leipsig to River Street Dam / Lowell
Check current paddling conditions for this Beaver Dam River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at County Road S and finish at River Street Dam / Lowell for the lower Beaver Dam River day route. It is slower and less rapid-focused than the existing Cotton Mill-to-County-J card, but still depends on the same erratic direct gauge and same-day access checks.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Put-in
County Road S / Leipsig Beaver Dam River accessOpen mapCounty Road S is a practical bridge/access from Miles Paddled and WRT, not a staffed park. Confirm parking, road-shoulder safety, and bank footing before launching.
Take-out
River Street Dam / Lowell take-outOpen mapThis starts just upstream of the existing Cotton Mill Park-to-County Road J route. Treat County Road J as an intermediate access/route boundary and do not assume the two cards are one uninterrupted published trip without checking current access and water conditions.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- County Road S is a practical bridge/access from Miles Paddled and WRT, not a staffed park. Confirm parking, road-shoulder safety, and bank footing before launching.
- This starts just upstream of the existing Cotton Mill Park-to-County Road J route. Treat County Road J as an intermediate access/route boundary and do not assume the two cards are one uninterrupted published trip without checking current access and water conditions.
- River Street Dam is the mandatory take-out boundary. Identify the exit line before the impoundment/dam area and do not continue around the dam casually.
- Meadow Road and other bridge options can shorten the route, but each needs same-day clearance, shoulder, and water-depth checks.
Watch for
- Low water, dragging, and slow impoundment-style paddling when the Beaver Dam gauge is below the selected floor.
- Erratic upstream dam releases, rising water, wood, low Meadow Road clearance, farm debris, and private banks.
- Wind on wider water, algae or water-quality concerns, cold water, and fatigue over an 11-mile day.
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Beaverdam River at Beaver Dam, 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 | 30 cfs to 140 cfs |
| Low threshold | 29 cfs |
| High threshold | 211 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Beaver Dam River 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 reportCounty Road S to River Street Dam, 11.25 miles
Miles Paddled documents the exact lower Beaver Dam route, endpoint coordinates, 11.25-mile distance, flatwater character, and a 130 cfs very-recommendable level.
- Gauge and level window30-140 cfs useful; 211+ cfs too high
Wisconsin River Trips ties Beaver Dam River paddling to USGS 05425912 and describes 30-140 cfs as the target band with higher water becoming too pushy.
- Current gauge check19.0 cfs / 838.87 ft at 2026-07-23 08:00 CDT
USGS legacy instantaneous data returned current Beaverdam River at Beaver Dam values during this run, below the selected useful flow window.
- County waterway contextDodge County Beaver Dam / Crawfish / Rock waterway system
Dodge County promotes the Beaver Dam River as part of its paddling waterway system and provides river-map / boat-access resources.
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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Beaver Dam River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Beaver Dam River?
Paddle Today watches Beaverdam River at Beaver Dam, WI and treats 30 cfs to 140 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Beaver Dam River route start and end?
This route starts at County Road S / Leipsig Beaver Dam River access and ends at River Street Dam / Lowell take-out, about About 11.25 mi on the water.
Is this Beaver Dam River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.