See all 4 routes on Eau Claire River
Wisconsin | Central Wisconsin
Eau Claire River
Ross Avenue River Access to Yellow Banks Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Eau Claire 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
Continue from Ross Avenue to Yellow Banks Park for a short lower Eau Claire water-trail segment with public endpoints and a direct same-corridor stage gauge. The route is useful but source coverage is thinner below Ross, so scout for debris, snags, low-water side channels, and the Yellow Banks landing before launching.
Put-in
Ross Avenue River AccessOpen mapRoss Avenue is a developed access with gauge and trail context; still check the landing for high current and crowding before launching.
Take-out
Yellow Banks Park LaunchOpen mapYellow Banks Park is the selected take-out. Weston lists Yellow Banks Launch at 3903 Northwestern Avenue and local sources document recent launch improvements, but paddlers should verify the current launch condition.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Ross Avenue is a developed access with gauge and trail context; still check the landing for high current and crowding before launching.
- Yellow Banks Park is the selected take-out. Weston lists Yellow Banks Launch at 3903 Northwestern Avenue and local sources document recent launch improvements, but paddlers should verify the current launch condition.
- Do not continue downstream toward the Eau Claire River Conservancy, flowage, Drott Street, or Brooks & Ross Dam without a separate route plan and portage/take-out decision.
Watch for
- Possible rapids, debris, snags, and shallow or side-channel route choices below Ross.
- Low-water walking below the Weston 0.5 ft floor and pushier water above the 2 ft experienced-paddler threshold.
- Private banks, limited bailout choices, cold water, and increased exposure if the group misses Yellow Banks.
Route gallery
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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 | 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 mileageRoss Avenue to Yellow Banks Park, about 2.7 mi
Wisconsin River Trips lists Ross Avenue to Yellowbanks Park as a 2.7-mile lower Eau Claire split with some rapids.
- Access coordinatesWRT overview KML resolves Ross Avenue and Yellow Banks Park
The WRT KML marks Ross Avenue at -89.5518243, 44.9183349 and Yellow Banks Park at -89.5740223, 44.9281782.
- Public take-outYellow Banks Launch, 3903 Northwestern Ave
Weston lists Yellow Banks Launch as a canoe/kayak launch site and names the Northwestern Avenue address.
- 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.
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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 Ross Avenue River Access and ends at Yellow Banks Park Launch, about About 2.7 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.