Wisconsin | South-Central Wisconsin
Fox River
Swan Lake Boat Landing to Highway 33 / Portage
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 Swan Lake, cross the lake, and follow the Upper Fox River marsh channel west to the Highway 33 Fox River Landing in Portage. The route is short and easy in current, but wind and slow water can dominate the day.
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
Swan Lake boat landing off South Shore DriveWRT describes Swan Lake as a public boat landing with parking, outhouses, and no launch fee, but it is still a lake launch shared with motorized users.
Take-out
Fox River Landing / Highway 33 PortagePortage Fox River Landing is the planned take-out. Confirm current hours and parking, especially if arriving early or finishing late.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- WRT describes Swan Lake as a public boat landing with parking, outhouses, and no launch fee, but it is still a lake launch shared with motorized users.
- Portage Fox River Landing is the planned take-out. Confirm current hours and parking, especially if arriving early or finishing late.
- The Princeton gauge is a downstream proxy chosen by WRT; if Swan Lake is wind-bound or the launch channel looks too weedy or shallow, skip the route even when the gauge looks acceptable.
Watch for
- Headwinds on Swan Lake and exposed marsh bends.
- Shallow or weedy summer channel edges, slow current, and possible dragging in side channels.
- Storms, heat, powerboats near the launch, strainers, private banks, and limited legal mid-route exits.
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 | Fox River at Princeton, 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 | 0 cfs to 1,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 0 cfs |
| High threshold | 3,001 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Fox River Swan Lake-to-Portage Princeton-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.
- Route-specific guideSwan Lake to Portage, about 5.8 miles
Wisconsin River Trips documents the Swan Lake-to-Portage Fox River route with public access descriptions, shuttle coordinates, wind caveats, and logjam status.
- Proxy gauge ladder0-1500 cfs good; 3001+ cfs likely too high
WRT uses the Fox River at Princeton gauge for this route and says 0-600 cfs is typical summer depth and good, 601-1000 cfs has plenty of water, 1001-1500 cfs is high but good, 2001-3000 cfs is very high, and 3001+ cfs may be too high and dirty.
- Official wildlife-area contextSwan Lake Wildlife Area
Wisconsin DNR says the Fox River flows through Swan Lake Wildlife Area from Swan Lake and lists canoeing, kayaking, and boating among allowed recreation; it also notes there is no campground.
- Public take-out supportPortage Fox River Landing
Portage Parks identifies Fox River Landing at 1825 State Highway 33 with Fox River frontage, parking, and a public kayak-launch facility.
- Current gauge check516 cfs / 3.87 ft at 2026-07-22 15:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned a current Princeton reading in WRT's typical-summer/good 0-600 cfs band 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
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
Fox River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Fox River?
Paddle Today watches Fox River at Princeton, WI and treats 0 cfs to 1,500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Fox River route start and end?
This route starts at Swan Lake boat landing off South Shore Drive and ends at Fox River Landing / Highway 33 Portage, about About 5.8 mi on the water.
Is this Fox River 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.