See all 3 routes on Eau Claire River
Wisconsin | Central Wisconsin
Eau Claire River
Edwin's Park / Club House Road to County Highway J Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Eau Claire River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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 at Edwin's Park / Club House Road and finish at County J for the first lower Eau Claire water-trail split below the county park corridor. Expect shallow boulder gardens, a few small rapids, and a downstream same-corridor stage gauge that must be paired with a visual check.
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
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Put-in
Edwin's Park / Club House Road launchThe Club House Road launch is a public park/grassy launch context with limited services and shoulder parking notes in WRT materials.
Take-out
County Highway J LandingCounty J is a bridge landing rather than a full-service ramp; confirm the faint trail, bank footing, and parking before unloading.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Club House Road launch is a public park/grassy launch context with limited services and shoulder parking notes in WRT materials.
- County J is a bridge landing rather than a full-service ramp; confirm the faint trail, bank footing, and parking before unloading.
- The Kelly/Ross gauge is downstream of this split. Use Weston stage guidance as a screen, then inspect the actual water at both endpoints.
Watch for
- Boulder gardens, Class I-II riffles, shallow ledges, and channel splits that can force walking below the 0.5 ft floor.
- Fresh strainers, downed trees, bridge debris, and faster current after rain.
- Private banks, limited legal bailout options, 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.
Score & sources
Why this score
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 | Eau Claire River at Kelly, 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 | 1.00 ft to 2.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 0.50 ft |
| High threshold | 2.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Village of Weston Eau Claire River water-trail stage 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 and mileageEdwin's Park / Club House Road to County J, about 4.1 mi
Wisconsin River Trips splits the lower Eau Claire water trail into Edwin's Park-to-County-J and County-J-to-Ross legs and describes this first split as having a few rapids and boulder gardens.
- Access coordinatesWRT overview KML resolves Club House Road and Highway J
The WRT linked My Maps KML marks Edwin's Park / Club House Road at -89.4586068, 44.9064421 and Highway J at -89.5057011, 44.9014989.
- Thresholds0.5 ft low floor, 1-2 ft planning band, over 2 ft experienced paddlers
Weston says around 1 ft at the Ross/Kelly gauge is ideal for beginners, below half a foot likely requires portaging, and over two feet creates a more challenging rapid-filled ride for experienced paddlers only.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05397500 Water Services returned HTTP 503 on 2026-07-23
The official monitoring page is available, but the legacy JSON live-value endpoint returned service unavailable during this run; users should recheck the monitoring page before launch.
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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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
Eau Claire River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Eau Claire River?
Paddle Today watches Eau Claire River at Kelly, WI and treats 1.00 ft to 2.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Eau Claire River route start and end?
This route starts at Edwin's Park / Club House Road launch and ends at County Highway J Landing, about About 4.1 mi on the water.
Is this Eau Claire River 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.