Wisconsin | North-Central Wisconsin
Embarrass River - South Branch
Highway 45 to County Road M
Check current paddling conditions for this Embarrass River - South Branch 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
Run the South Branch Embarrass from Highway 45 to County Road M for the short Tigerton Dells whitewater section. Miles Paddled gives a 130 cfs minimum on the downstream Embarrass gauge, while AW corroborates the dells hazards and wood exposure.
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.
Put-in
Highway 45 bridge accessOpen mapHighway 45 access is not a developed canoe landing; plan for rough footing and limited roadside staging.
Take-out
County Road M take-outOpen mapCounty Road M is the required take-out for this card. Verify bridge status and parking before committing because local work or washouts can change the exit.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Highway 45 access is not a developed canoe landing; plan for rough footing and limited roadside staging.
- County Road M is the required take-out for this card. Verify bridge status and parking before committing because local work or washouts can change the exit.
- The Embarrass gauge is a downstream mainstem proxy. Use the Miles Paddled floor only after a same-day visual check at the South Branch put-in.
Watch for
- Continuous rocky Class II-III drops, shallow ledges, and few eddies in the dells.
- Fresh wood or river-wide blockages, including AW-reported portage-style hazards that can change by season.
- High or rising water; Miles Paddled warns the run becomes wild Class IV around 650 cfs on the Embarrass 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.
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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 | Embarrass River near Embarrass, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 130 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Miles Paddled South Branch Embarrass recommended minimum |
| 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 reportHighway 45 to County Road M, 2.5 mi
Miles Paddled documents the exact put-in, take-out, coordinates, time, distance, class, gauge reading, and level guidance.
- AW corroborationTigerton Dells, Highway 45 to County Road M, Class II-III
American Whitewater documents the same reach with 2.4 miles, 25 fpm gradient, dells hazards, few eddies, and wood cautions.
- Threshold model130 cfs minimum on Embarrass gauge proxy
Miles Paddled ties the exact route to the Embarrass gauge, calls 130 cfs the minimum, and describes 250 cfs as a balanced level without providing a formal app-safe upper band.
- Current gauge check234 cfs / 3.08 ft at 2026-07-17 05:00 CDT
USGS Water Services placed the downstream Embarrass gauge above the Miles Paddled minimum during this run.
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.
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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
Embarrass River - South Branch paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Embarrass River - South Branch?
Paddle Today watches Embarrass River near Embarrass, WI and uses 130 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Embarrass River - South Branch route start and end?
This route starts at Highway 45 bridge access and ends at County Road M take-out, about About 2.5 mi on the water.
Is this Embarrass River - South Branch route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.