See all 3 routes on East Branch Pecatonica River
Wisconsin | Southwest Wisconsin
East Branch Pecatonica River
Gordon Creek Boat Ramp to River Road Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this East Branch Pecatonica River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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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 below Blanchardville at Gordon Creek Boat Ramp and paddle the lower East Branch Pecatonica through the Highway 78 gauge corridor to River Road. The best scenery is below Highway 78; the main practical calls are level, wood, mud, and staying off private banks.
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
Gordon Creek Boat RampOpen mapGordon Creek is the public/default start below the Blanchardville dam area. Do not launch above the dam for this route.
Take-out
River Road / Thunder Bridge LandingOpen mapHighway 78 is retained as a direct gauge and visual checkpoint, but it is not the default launch because access and parking are weaker than Gordon Creek.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Gordon Creek is the public/default start below the Blanchardville dam area. Do not launch above the dam for this route.
- Highway 78 is retained as a direct gauge and visual checkpoint, but it is not the default launch because access and parking are weaker than Gordon Creek.
- River Road / Thunder Bridge has a muddy landing. Scout it from land before launching so the exit is obvious from the river.
Watch for
- Deadfall and possible portages in the Highway 78-to-River Road split, especially after storms or high water.
- Low-water riffles below about 90 cfs and pushier wood consequences near or above the 360 cfs highest-recommended source level.
- Private pasture banks, farm-field edges, bridge debris, cold water outside summer, and a rural rescue setting.
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.
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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 | East Branch Pecatonica River near Blanchardville, WI |
| 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 |
| Target band | 90 cfs to 360 cfs |
| Low threshold | 90 cfs |
| High threshold | 360 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Miles Paddled East Branch Pecatonica Highway 78 / River Road gauge notes |
| 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.
- Public put-inGordon Creek Boat Ramp below Blanchardville
Wisconsin River Trips calls Gordon Creek Boat Ramp a very good public access just downstream from Blanchardville and says most paddlers will prefer it over the dam-side start.
- Route split and mileageGordon Creek to Highway 78 to River Road, about 9 to 10 mi
Wisconsin River Trips lists Gordon Creek Landing-to-Highway 78 and Highway 78-to-River Road as adjacent lower East Branch splits; Miles Paddled describes Highway 78-to-River Road as about 5.75 miles.
- Threshold evidence90 cfs workable; 360 cfs highest recommended for Highway 78-to-River Road
Miles Paddled recorded 90 cfs on the Highway 78-to-Argyle trip and later described 360 cfs / 7.2 ft as the highest recommended level for the Highway 78-to-River Road split.
- Current gauge check140 cfs / 4.62 ft at 2026-07-23 04:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current East Branch Pecatonica River near Blanchardville data during this run.
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.
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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
East Branch Pecatonica River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling East Branch Pecatonica River?
Paddle Today watches East Branch Pecatonica River near Blanchardville, WI and treats 90 cfs to 360 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this East Branch Pecatonica River route start and end?
This route starts at Gordon Creek Boat Ramp and ends at River Road / Thunder Bridge Landing, about About 9.5 mi on the water.
Is this East Branch Pecatonica 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.