See all 7 routes on Champlain Canal
New York | Washington and Saratoga Counties / Champlain Valley
Champlain Canal
Moreau Boat Launch / Rogers Island Pool to Lock C5/Upper Launch, Schuylerville
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
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
A 10.51-mile one-way Champlain Canal Water Trail route from the public Rogers Island Pool/Moreau Boat Ramp in Fort Edward to the Lock C5/Upper Launch at Hudson Crossing Park in Schuylerville. The official Canalway day-trip inventory describes one lock, a mix of river and land-cut paddling, and the Fort Miller/C6-to-C5 sequence. The guidebook and NYSDEC identify public water-entry anchors, but the route remains planning-only because river regulation, lock operations, current, dams, vertical walls, and commercial traffic can change the trip.
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.
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
Rogers Island Pool Boat Launch / Moreau Boat RampThe stored endpoint coordinates follow the Canalway guide’s named launch-area anchors; they are not a guarantee that a dock, gate, parking area, or landing is open on the day of travel.
Take-out
Lock C5 / Upper Launch, Hudson Crossing ParkThe route crosses public and private waterfronts with vertical walls and work areas. Do not land, scout, or use a maintenance area without posted permission or a current official instruction.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The stored endpoint coordinates follow the Canalway guide’s named launch-area anchors; they are not a guarantee that a dock, gate, parking area, or landing is open on the day of travel.
- The route crosses public and private waterfronts with vertical walls and work areas. Do not land, scout, or use a maintenance area without posted permission or a current official instruction.
- Lock C6 and Lock C5 require a current portage or lockage plan. Do not improvise around gates, cables, dams, or active commercial navigation.
- The route ends at the Lock C5 upper launch. Continuing below the lock or onto the Hudson requires a separate route, access, and hazard review.
Watch for
- USGS 01327750 unavailable, rapidly changing, or inconsistent with local Hudson/Champlain Canal conditions
- Crocker’s Reef safety cable, guard gate, strong cross-currents, dams, Lock C6 operations, commercial traffic, bridges, vertical walls, cold water, and strainers
- Moreau, Route 4, Lock C6, Hudson Crossing, parking, overnight limits, navigation notices, seasonal gates, and current launch/portage instructions
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 | Hudson River at Fort Edward, NY |
| 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 | Not calibrated yet |
| 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 | No numeric go/no-go threshold published for this Champlain Canal trip; use USGS 01327750 as Fort Edward/Hudson proxy context plus local visual inspection |
| 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 Canalway day tripMoreau Boat Launch to Lock C5 Launch; 10.51 miles; one lock
The official Erie Canalway day-trip page publishes the route endpoints, mileage, lock count, and river/land-cut description.
- Public endpoint coordinatesMoreau/Rogers Island Pool 43.25411, -73.58805; Lock C5 upper launch 43.11420, -73.57848
The Canalway guide identifies both public water-entry areas and their facilities; NYSDEC independently lists the Moreau and Hudson Crossing launch context.
- Hazard and portage guidanceCrocker’s Reef, guard gate, Lock C6, current transitions, and Lock C5 facilities
The official guidebook supplies the route-specific safety notes and lock/access descriptions; follow current on-site instructions.
- Proxy live gaugeUSGS 01327750 Hudson River at Fort Edward
USGS provides current stage/discharge near the upstream corridor, but canal level, regulation, wind, lock operations, and local current can diverge.
- Camping postureNearby managed basecamp only; no on-route camping claim
Use a current campground or lodging provider outside the canal bank and follow its rules.
- Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 01327750, Hudson River at Fort Edward, NY
USGS 01327750 is a current Hudson River station at Fort Edward near the upstream route corridor. It is used here as a proxy because the trip follows the regulated Hudson/Champlain Canal system; local canal level, lock operations, diversions, wind, and river current can differ materially.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Champlain Canal Water Trail and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.
- Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation
The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict this exact reach.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Champlain Canal Water Trail route record
- NYS Canalway Water Trail Champlain Canal guidebook map
- USGS 01327750 Hudson River at Fort Edward current stage and discharge proxy
- Erie Canalway Water Trail safety guidance
- USGS 01327750 monitoring location
- USGS 01327750 current conditions
- Champlain Canal context image
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
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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Quick answers
Champlain Canal paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Champlain Canal?
Paddle Today watches Hudson River at Fort Edward, NY and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Champlain Canal route start and end?
This route starts at Rogers Island Pool Boat Launch / Moreau Boat Ramp and ends at Lock C5 / Upper Launch, Hudson Crossing Park, about About 10.51 one-way Canalway miles from Moreau Boat Launch to Lock C5/Upper Launch on the water.
Is this Champlain Canal route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.