See all 4 routes on Black River
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 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 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.
Put-in
Wayside Park / Popple River accessOpen mapWayside 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 launchOpen mapReese Avenue is a small, somewhat hidden canoe launch near Greenwood. Walk the trail and confirm parking before staging the shuttle vehicle.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
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
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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 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 |
| Data confidence 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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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.
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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.