Wisconsin | South-Central Wisconsin

Crawfish River

County Road I to County Road G

Check current paddling conditions for this Crawfish River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
Checking live data

Route snapshot

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

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.

LevelCheckingChecking
TrendCheckingChecking 24h change
WeatherLoadingAir: No reading
RainLoadingRecent rain: Checking

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Best window today

Checking weather.

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--
DifficultyeasyMiles Paddled rates the exact reach beginner flatwater. PaddleToday still keeps a caution profile because of wind, muddy banks, private frontage, remote wildlife-area access, and the downstream gauge relationship.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Follow Wisconsin boating/PFD rules, DNR wildlife-area postings, hunting-season visibility needs, and private-property limits.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is documented for this short wildlife-area float. Treat it as a day route and do not camp on private banks, farm edges, or wildlife-area land unless separately posted and legal.
SeasonApr-OctThis slow marsh-and-farm reach is less scrape-sensitive than the rockier Crawfish segments. Fall color can be attractive; spring high water may improve depth but can worsen mud, wind exposure, and current around strainers.

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, shuttle, and map

Float the quieter middle Crawfish from County Road I to County Road G through Glacial Heritage Area and Waterloo Wildlife Area context. This is beginner flatwater, but wind and muddy banks still matter.

Start

Put-in

County Road I Glacial Heritage Area landingOpen map

Miles Paddled identifies both endpoints as official Glacial Heritage Area landings, with designated parking at the take-out.

Finish

Take-out

County Road G Glacial Heritage Area landingOpen map

Expect scattered public parcels rather than continuous public shoreline. Stop only where legal and clearly appropriate.

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Miles Paddled identifies both endpoints as official Glacial Heritage Area landings, with designated parking at the take-out.
  • Expect scattered public parcels rather than continuous public shoreline. Stop only where legal and clearly appropriate.
  • The Milford gauge is downstream. Use it for broad low-water context, then make a local wind and bank-condition call.

Watch for

  • Headwind on slow open water, soft banks, and silty landings.
  • Private agricultural frontage and hunting-season visibility around wildlife-area parcels.
  • Backwaters and side channels that can distract from the main route if the group is not navigating deliberately.

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.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Today'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.
Tomorrow and weekend

This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteCrawfish River at Milford, WI
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor60 cfs
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Data confidence behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreWisconsin River Trips lower Crawfish Milford gauge floor plus Miles Paddled County I trip
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
What to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Exact routeCounty Road I to County Road G, 6.75 mi

    Miles Paddled documents the exact access pair, distance, beginner flatwater character, and endpoint GPS coordinates.

    Source

  • Public access contextOfficial Glacial Heritage Area landings

    Miles Paddled says the trip starts and ends at official Glacial Heritage Area landings, and Jefferson County points paddlers to Glacial Heritage Area put-in/take-out sites and route guidance.

    Source

  • Threshold postureMinimum-only 60 cfs floor

    The selected floor follows WRT lower-Crawfish guidance that 0-60 cfs is exceptionally low and may require wading, while this flatter exact reach has separate Miles Paddled evidence that water levels are not usually a primary issue.

    Source

  • Current gauge check111 cfs / 1.94 ft at 2026-07-23 09:00 CDT

    USGS Water Services returned current Crawfish River at Milford data during this run.

    Source

Check the source links

Photos, paddler notes, and updates.

See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

Crawfish River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Crawfish River?

Paddle Today watches Crawfish River at Milford, WI and uses 60 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Crawfish River route start and end?

This route starts at County Road I Glacial Heritage Area landing and ends at County Road G Glacial Heritage Area landing, about About 6.75 mi on the water.

Is this Crawfish River 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.

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.