Illinois | Northeastern Illinois
Blackberry Creek
Jaycee Pond Park to River Road
Check current paddling conditions for this Blackberry Creek 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
Plan as a short, technical training run with scouting, a safety boat/rescue plan, and a conservative flow check.
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
Jaycee Pond Park public accessJaycee Pond Park is public, but downstream take-out access and bridge conditions must be confirmed immediately before use.
Take-out
River Road bridge take-outDo not run the bridge ledge or rock features without a current scouting and rescue plan.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Jaycee Pond Park is public, but downstream take-out access and bridge conditions must be confirmed immediately before use.
- Do not run the bridge ledge or rock features without a current scouting and rescue plan.
Watch for
- Rock-arch drops
- River Road bridge ledge
- low water and exposed rock
- rapid rise/debris
- changing park and take-out access
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 | Blackberry Creek near Yorkville, IL |
| 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 | 70 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 | American Whitewater Blackberry Creek trip reports |
| 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.
- Named route corridorJaycee Pond Park to River Road; approximately 0.34 mile
American Whitewater documents the reach, access points, feature sequence, and Class II rating.
- Direct live gauge and observationsUSGS 05551700; approximately 70 cfs observed and 250 cfs trip reports
Community observations tied to the Yorkville gauge; not a safety guarantee.
- Public accessJaycee Pond Park, 410 West Center Street, Yorkville
The City of Yorkville identifies the park and adjacent Blackberry Creek natural area.
- Image decisionNo external image copied
Use rights-clean map/route presentation until a permissioned image is separately cleared.
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
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Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Blackberry Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Blackberry Creek?
Paddle Today watches Blackberry Creek near Yorkville, IL and uses 70 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Blackberry Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Jaycee Pond Park public access and ends at River Road bridge take-out, about Approximately 0.34 river miles on the water.
Is this Blackberry Creek 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.