See all 3 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 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
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.
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
County Highway J LandingCounty J is a bridge landing and should be checked for current bank, parking, and traffic conditions before launching.
Take-out
Ross Avenue River AccessRoss 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.
Plan this segment
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.
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 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
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 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.