See all 29 routes on Cedar River
Iowa | North Central Iowa
Cedar River
Otranto Park below dam to Acorn Park
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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 below the Otranto dam and paddle the upper Cedar River to Acorn Park. This is a source-backed Mitchell County access pair, but the broken-dam finish and stale Osage gauge require conservative same-day judgment.
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
Otranto Park below-dam accessOtranto launch discipline matters: put in below the dam only and stay out of dam hydraulics.
Take-out
Acorn ParkThe guide says the Acorn broken dam may be runnable for experienced paddlers after scouting, but also warns it is fast water with little margin for error and old metal can be exposed at low water. Treat Acorn as the planned take-out/portage boundary.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Otranto launch discipline matters: put in below the dam only and stay out of dam hydraulics.
- The guide says the Acorn broken dam may be runnable for experienced paddlers after scouting, but also warns it is fast water with little margin for error and old metal can be exposed at low water. Treat Acorn as the planned take-out/portage boundary.
- USGS 05457505 at Osage returned stale 2017 Water Services data during this run, so the app uses downstream USGS 05457700 at Charles City plus a required visual check at Otranto.
Watch for
- Broken-dam current, exposed metal or rock at low water, old dumpsite debris, and shallow riffles.
- Strainers, outside-bend wood, private banks, agricultural runoff after storms, and limited mid-route exits.
- Fast rises after rain, cold shoulder-season water, and the consequence of missing the Acorn boundary.
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
Data and sources
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 River at Charles City, IA |
| 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 | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Cedar River Paddling Trips Otranto-to-Janesville 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.
- Official route and mileageOtranto Park to Acorn Park, 6.6 mi
The Cedar River Paddling Trips guide lists Otranto Park below the dam to Acorn Park as 6.6 miles and publishes coordinates for both access sites.
- Threshold floor200 cfs minimum; 400-600 cfs better
The guide says 200 cfs is preferable for adequate water levels and 400 to 600 cfs is a better range for the Otranto-to-Janesville Cedar River trip family.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05457700 at 1,270 cfs / 3.86 ft
USGS Water Services returned current Cedar River at Charles City data at 2026-07-23 16:30 CDT during this run; the Osage gauge returned stale 2017 values and was not selected.
- Broken-dam cautionAcorn Park Dam
The guide says experienced paddlers may be able to run the broken dam after scouting, but warns it is fast water with little margin for error and exposed old metal at low water.
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
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Quick answers
Cedar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cedar River?
Paddle Today watches Cedar River at Charles City, IA and uses 200 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Cedar River route start and end?
This route starts at Otranto Park below-dam access and ends at Acorn Park, about 6.6 mi on the water.
Is this Cedar 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.