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Wisconsin | Lower Black River
Black River
Highway 53/93 Landing to Highway 35 Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Black River 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
Use the named Highway 53/93 and Highway 35 landings for an 8-mile lower Black River run. Plan a daylight window, a real shuttle, footwear for the steep put-in, and a conservative turnaround if the channel split or lower-third wood becomes difficult.
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
Highway 53/93 landingThe Highway 53/93 landing has a steep gravel descent and no bathrooms according to the route report; inspect the carry and landing before committing.
Take-out
Highway 35 landingThe Highway 35 landing is a practical public endpoint but river-edge conditions and parking rules can change. Follow current signs and do not block the highway access.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Highway 53/93 landing has a steep gravel descent and no bathrooms according to the route report; inspect the carry and landing before committing.
- The Highway 35 landing is a practical public endpoint but river-edge conditions and parking rules can change. Follow current signs and do not block the highway access.
- The route forks around Van Loon Island and includes side channels and sandbars. Stay in the documented main channel and do not assume every branch is navigable at current flow.
- The 380 cfs minimum is community observation, not a safety certification. Rising water, flood warnings, wood, storms, or unclear take-out conditions override the score.
Watch for
- Discharge at or below about 380 cfs, when sandbars, shallow side channels, and hang-ups become more likely.
- The Van Loon Island fork and a closed or shallow side channel.
- Logjams in the lower third, high sandy banks, strainers, strong wind, and private-bank constraints.
- Rapid rises or regulated watershed changes after storms; inspect the live gauge trend before launching.
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.
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 | Black River near Galesville, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 380 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Black River Hwy 53 to Hwy 35 report |
| 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 paddle reportHighway 53/93 landing to Highway 35 landing — 8 mi
Wisconsin River Trips documents the exact segment, endpoints, observed flow, channel split, low-water behavior, sandbanks, and logjams.
- Official access contextWisconsin DNR and DOT maintain Highway 53 access; DNR maintains lower Black River access
Wisconsin DNR identifies canoe/kayak use and maintained access at the Highway 53 bridge, Van Loon, North Bend, and Melrose.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 05382000 near Galesville
USGS station has a long record and telemetered discharge data near the Highway 53 reach.
- Flow guidance380 cfs conservative minimum-only reference
The route report describes 380 cfs as a little too shallow; use it as a conservative minimum-only screen, not a guarantee or high-water limit.
- Distinctness checkLower Highway 53-to-35 corridor is separate from existing Black River routes upstream of Melrose and North Bend
Existing app routes cover upstream Lower Black reaches; this downstream island and sandbank segment is a distinct access pair and gauge context.
- Image decisionNo third-party image bundled
The route uses linked public agency and trip-report sources only; no unlicensed promotional image is copied into the product.
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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Black River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Black River?
Paddle Today watches Black River near Galesville, WI and uses 380 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Black River route start and end?
This route starts at Highway 53/93 landing and ends at Highway 35 landing, about About 8 mi on the water.
Is this Black River 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.