See all 4 routes on Eau Claire River
Wisconsin | Central Wisconsin
Eau Claire River
County Highway J Landing to Ross Avenue River Access
Check current paddling conditions for this Eau Claire River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Today
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.
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
Run the liveliest lower Eau Claire water-trail split from County J to the developed Ross Avenue access. The route is short but not casual: WRT documents boulder gardens, a Class II drop, nearly continuous rapids below County J, and a fast final approach to Ross when water is up.
Put-in
County Highway J LandingOpen mapCounty J is a bridge landing and should be checked for current bank, parking, and traffic conditions before launching.
Take-out
Ross Avenue River AccessOpen mapRoss Avenue is the planned take-out and a developed water-trail access; move left early above the bridges and do not drift past the intended landing.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- County J is a bridge landing and should be checked for current bank, parking, and traffic conditions before launching.
- Ross Avenue is the planned take-out and a developed water-trail access; move left early above the bridges and do not drift past the intended landing.
- The Weston stage thresholds use gage height. Do not convert the WRT guest cfs comments into a separate app range without a current rating curve.
Watch for
- Class I-II boulder gardens, one Class II drop in WRT photo notes, and nearly continuous rapids for roughly a half mile below County J.
- Fast current and a tricky river-left take-out at Ross when levels are near the guest-review good-water band.
- Strainers, wrong-channel choices through islands, private banks, and cold-water exposure.
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 | 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 |
| Data confidence 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 mileageCounty J to Ross Avenue, about 3.7 mi
Wisconsin River Trips calls Highway J-to-Ross a great section with more rapids and boulder gardens.
- Access coordinatesWRT overview KML resolves Highway J and Ross Avenue
The WRT KML marks Highway J at -89.5057011, 44.9014989 and Ross Avenue at -89.5518243, 44.9183349.
- Ross access and gauge guidance5007 Babl Lane Ross access; 1 ft beginner / over 2 ft experienced
Weston lists the Ross Avenue river access and says water depth around one foot is ideal for beginners, while over two feet is more challenging and for experienced paddlers.
- 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
Share your trip
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 County Highway J Landing and ends at Ross Avenue River Access, about About 3.7 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.