Wisconsin | Southeastern Wisconsin
Cedar Creek
Covered Bridge Park to Grafton Lions Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Cedar 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
Launch at Covered Bridge Park and take out at Grafton Lions Park for the short Cedar Creek route above the more urban Cedarburg/dam corridor. The Cedarburg gauge is direct, but local rock, wood, and rain response still decide marginal days.
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
Covered Bridge Park Cedar Creek accessCovered Bridge Park is the clean start with county-listed kayak/canoe launch context; still verify current park hours and posted rules.
Take-out
Grafton Lions Park Cedar Creek accessGrafton Lions Park is the planned finish. Do not drift into the downstream Cedarburg/urban/dam-affected sections unless you have a separate route plan.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Covered Bridge Park is the clean start with county-listed kayak/canoe launch context; still verify current park hours and posted rules.
- Grafton Lions Park is the planned finish. Do not drift into the downstream Cedarburg/urban/dam-affected sections unless you have a separate route plan.
- Robin Court is useful only as a split or bailout if parking, signage, neighborhood access, and bank footing are clearly acceptable.
Watch for
- Shallow rocks, scraping, and awkward footing near the lower end of the selected stage window.
- Fast current and less recovery room above the high-water caution around 6.5 ft.
- Strainers, slick limestone, storm runoff, private banks, urban water-quality concerns, and cold water outside summer.
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 | Cedar Creek near Cedarburg, WI |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 5.50 ft to 6.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 5.24 ft |
| High threshold | 6.80 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips / Treasures of Oz Cedar Creek gauge guidance |
| 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 reportCovered Bridge Park to Grafton Lions Park, 3.6 miles
Wisconsin River Trips documents the exact route, optional Robin Court split, public endpoints, and direct Cedarburg gauge context.
- Local stage guidance5.5 ft low scrape line; 6.5 ft fast-water caution
Treasures of Oz route guidance warns that Cedar Creek scrapes below 5.5 ft and is a fast experienced-paddler run above 6.5 ft; WRT documented 5.24 ft / 30 cfs as a tad low on this same route.
- Current gauge check11.8 cfs / 5.23 ft at 2026-07-23 08:00 CDT
USGS legacy instantaneous data returned current Cedar Creek near Cedarburg values during this run, below the selected useful stage window.
- Public endpointsCovered Bridge Park launch and Grafton Lions Park kayak access
Ozaukee County lists a kayak/canoe launch at Covered Bridge Park, and the Village of Grafton lists kayak access at Lions Park.
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.
Quick answers
Cedar Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cedar Creek?
Paddle Today watches Cedar Creek near Cedarburg, WI and treats 5.50 ft to 6.50 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Cedar Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Covered Bridge Park Cedar Creek access and ends at Grafton Lions Park Cedar Creek access, about About 3.6 mi on the water.
Is this Cedar Creek 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.