See all 2 routes on Eau Claire River - East Branch
Wisconsin | North-Central Wisconsin
Eau Claire River - East Branch
Wayside Park / Highway 45 to County Road I
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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 Wayside Park off Highway 45 and take out at the County Road I DNR access. Expect a narrow East Branch trout stream with clear water, alder dodging, light riffles, and several optional bridge exits.
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
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Wayside Park / Highway 45 accessThe County Road I take-out is a public DNR access and pull-off southeast of the bridge, but it is still a small fishing-style access rather than a large boat ramp.
Take-out
County Road I DNR accessCounty B and Bluebell Road are useful alternates if the upper reach looks too congested or shallow.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The County Road I take-out is a public DNR access and pull-off southeast of the bridge, but it is still a small fishing-style access rather than a large boat ramp.
- County B and Bluebell Road are useful alternates if the upper reach looks too congested or shallow.
- The Kelly gauge is far downstream; inspect actual depth and wood at the put-in before committing.
Watch for
- Logjams, low bridge clearance, alder gauntlets, and branch dodging upstream from County B.
- Shallow riffles and wading when the downstream Kelly proxy is below the WRT average band.
- Private banks, cold water, fresh post-storm wood, and fast localized rises not fully captured by the downstream gauge.
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
Data and sources
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 |
| 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 | 101 cfs to 200 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | 451 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips East Branch Eau Claire Wayside Park gauge guide |
| 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.
- Exact route sourceWayside Park to County I, 5.1 mi
Wisconsin River Trips documents the Wayside Park / Highway 45 to County I route, subreach mileages, access notes, hazards, and downstream Kelly-gauge ladder.
- Gauge bands100 / 101-200 / 451 cfs
WRT calls below 100 cfs very shallow, 101 to 200 cfs average, 301 to 450 cfs high but navigable, and 451+ cfs very high on the Kelly gauge.
- Current gauge check98.1 cfs and 0.46 ft at 2026-07-16 20:00 CDT
USGS Water Services placed the downstream Kelly proxy just below the selected floor during this run.
- Endpoint coordinates45.234493, -89.1508535 to 45.2038261, -89.2160091
Wisconsin River Trips embedded My Maps/KML resolves Wayside Park, County B, Bluebell Road, and County I access coordinates.
- Camping postureDay route only
No on-route public campsite was identified for this trout-stream bridge-access reach; do not camp on private banks.
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.
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 - East Branch paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Eau Claire River - East Branch?
Paddle Today watches Eau Claire River at Kelly, WI and treats 101 cfs to 200 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Eau Claire River - East Branch route start and end?
This route starts at Wayside Park / Highway 45 access and ends at County Road I DNR access, about About 5.1 mi on the water.
Is this Eau Claire River - East Branch 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.