See all 2 routes on Cedar Creek
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 snapshot
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Today
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
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 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.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Put-in
Covered Bridge Park Cedar Creek accessOpen mapCovered 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 accessOpen mapGrafton Lions Park is the planned finish. Do not drift into the downstream Cedarburg/urban/dam-affected sections unless you have a separate route plan.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
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.
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.
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 | 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 |
| Data confidence 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
Share your trip
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.