See all 4 routes on Black River
Wisconsin | Southwest Wisconsin
Black River
Melrose Landing to North Bend Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Black River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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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 Melrose Public Landing and take out at North Bend Landing for the classic lower-Black sandbar day. The route has easy current, big sand beaches, sandstone outcrops, and a direct upstream Black River Falls gauge ladder.
Put-in
Melrose Public LandingOpen mapWisconsin DNR says it owns and maintains Black River access at Melrose and North Bend, and Wisconsin River Trips describes both as public landings.
Take-out
North Bend LandingOpen mapThe Melrose lot can fill on popular weekends, with overflow parking pushed toward the Highway 108 shoulder.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Wisconsin DNR says it owns and maintains Black River access at Melrose and North Bend, and Wisconsin River Trips describes both as public landings.
- The Melrose lot can fill on popular weekends, with overflow parking pushed toward the Highway 108 shoulder.
- The North Bend landing sits near a livery and remains public, but the main lot is small and can spill over onto North Bend Drive.
Watch for
- A 10-mile day that can run long if you start late, paddle a slow canoe, stop often, or fight a headwind.
- Shallow bars and possible walking below about 100 cfs on the Black River Falls gauge.
- Fewer sandbars and less route character as the gauge rises above about 450 to 600 cfs.
- Shoreline strainers, shallow motorboat traffic, crowded summer weekends, and the signed right-channel choice near North Bend.
Route gallery
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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 | Black River DS ST Hwy 54 at Black River Falls, 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 | 101 cfs to 300 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | 801 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Black River - Melrose to North Bend depth 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.
- Published route ladder101 to 300 cfs target window
Wisconsin River Trips says 0 to 100 cfs is extraordinarily low with some walking, 101 to 200 cfs is a great target with very good sandbars, 201 to 300 cfs keeps decent sandbars and better padding, 601 to 800 cfs is high, and 801+ cfs is probably too high.
- Direct gaugeUSGS 053813595
USGS operates the Black River downstream of State Highway 54 at Black River Falls gauge, the same Black River Falls gauge family used by the route-specific paddling guidance.
- Public accessDNR-maintained Melrose and North Bend access
Wisconsin DNR says it owns and maintains Black River access to the river at Melrose and North Bend.
- Commercial shuttle corroborationMelrose Public Landing to North Bend exit
North Bend Canoe Rental lists its signature day trip as a 10-mile paddle from Melrose Public Landing to the North Bend exit, with all trips ending at North Bend.
- Endpoint coordinatesPut-in 44.12610, -91.00450; take-out 44.08951, -91.11544
The put-in coordinate is resolved at the named Melrose public landing just southwest of the Highway 108 bridge; the take-out coordinate is the named North Bend public boat-ramp feature, corroborated by the public landing and livery context.
- HazardsLength, wind, strainers, and crowds
Wisconsin River Trips reports no major rapids, but cautions that a 10+ mph headwind can be brutal, shoreline strainers should be avoided, late starts can lead to night paddling, and popular weekends can be crowded.
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
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Black River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Black River?
Paddle Today watches Black River DS ST Hwy 54 at Black River Falls, WI and treats 101 cfs to 300 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Black River route start and end?
This route starts at Melrose Public Landing and ends at North Bend Landing, about 10.1 mi on the water.
Is this Black 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.
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