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Wisconsin | Northwest Wisconsin
Black River
Wayside Park / Popple River to Reese Avenue
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
Launch at Wayside Park on the Popple River and finish at Reese Avenue after the Popple-to-Black connector. Expect frequent Class I-II rapids, Hemlock Rapids, Giles Rapids, scout-or-portage decisions, and limited clean bailouts.
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
Wayside Park / Popple River accessWayside Park is the named public start on the Popple; do not substitute an informal bridge shoulder without confirming legal access.
Take-out
Reese Avenue canoe launchReese Avenue is a small, somewhat hidden canoe launch near Greenwood. Walk the trail and confirm parking before staging the shuttle vehicle.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Wayside Park is the named public start on the Popple; do not substitute an informal bridge shoulder without confirming legal access.
- Reese Avenue is a small, somewhat hidden canoe launch near Greenwood. Walk the trail and confirm parking before staging the shuttle vehicle.
- The route enters the Black River at the Popple confluence. Use Reese Avenue as the planned take-out and do not continue downstream into a separate Greenwood plan.
Watch for
- Hemlock Rapids, a Class III feature near Warner Drive that should be scouted and can be portaged when it exceeds the group skill level.
- Frequent Class I-II rapids, low-water rock contact, high-water push, cold water, fresh wood, and limited emergency landings.
- Remote or private banks outside the named Wayside and Reese access areas.
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 | Black River at Neillsville, 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 | 301 cfs to 405 cfs |
| Low threshold | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | 751 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Wayside Park-to-Reese Avenue 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.
- Exact route and hazardsWayside Park to Reese Avenue, 6.8 mi
Wisconsin River Trips documents the route from Wayside Park on the Popple River to Reese Avenue, including Class I-II rapids, one Class III rapid, no logjams, and the Reese shuttle coordinate pair.
- Route-specific gauge ladder301-405 cfs target; 201-300 cfs low; 751+ whitewater-only
Wisconsin River Trips publishes a Neillsville-gauge ladder for this route, with 301-405 cfs as the good recreational target and stronger warnings above 551 cfs and 751 cfs.
- County flow cautionDifficult below about 200 cfs; dangerous for novices at high flows
Clark County Black River paddling brochure uses the Neillsville gauge for an adjacent upper-Black stretch and warns below about 200 cfs is difficult while high flows are dangerous for novice paddlers.
- Current gauge check75.4 cfs / 2.86 ft at 2026-07-23 07:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned same-day Neillsville data during this run, below the selected whitewater floor.
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.
More in Wisconsin
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Quick answers
Black River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Black River?
Paddle Today watches Black River at Neillsville, WI and treats 301 cfs to 405 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 Wayside Park / Popple River access and ends at Reese Avenue canoe launch, about About 6.8 mi on the water.
Is this Black River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.