Illinois | Northern Illinois
Fox River
Marge Cline Whitewater Course
Check current paddling conditions for this Fox 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.
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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
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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
Use Marge Cline Whitewater Course for short Fox River laps around the Glen D. Palmer Dam bypass. Score it off USGS 05551580 with a conservative 250 cfs floor, then make a same-day call on crowding, feature shape, and high-water push before committing.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Marge Cline Whitewater Course put-in / upstream launchThe city says the course is open-use and identifies an east-end boat launch plus a designated downstream portage point west of the Route 47 bridge on the south bank next to the Yorkville Parks and Recreation building.
Take-out
Marge Cline Whitewater Course take-out / downstream portageThis is a whitewater play park rather than a downstream Fox River float. Normal use is repeated laps with the on-site concrete walk-back path, not a one-way river trip.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The city says the course is open-use and identifies an east-end boat launch plus a designated downstream portage point west of the Route 47 bridge on the south bank next to the Yorkville Parks and Recreation building.
- This is a whitewater play park rather than a downstream Fox River float. Normal use is repeated laps with the on-site concrete walk-back path, not a one-way river trip.
- American Whitewater maps exact put-in and take-out points for the same reach, but use current city signs and the obvious portage layout on arrival because warm-weather crowds, tubers, and events can change how the park feels on the day.
- Most public parking is in nearby municipal lots rather than directly beside the chute. Carry boats accordingly and use only the city lots that allow the needed parking duration.
Watch for
- Glen D. Palmer Dam context, the short engineered whitewater course, bridge-adjacent current, and any temptation to improvise lines outside the official bypass and portage setup.
- Flows near or below about 250 cfs, when the course gets shallower, scrapier, and more technical for hull contact.
- High or rising water, when American Whitewater still marks the reach runnable but the short course becomes pushier and less forgiving for novice whitewater paddlers.
- Tubers, swimmers, anglers near the park, strong eddy lines, rocks, slippery concrete or shoreline footing, and no on-site lifeguard.
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 | Fox River at Yorkville, IL |
| 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 | 250 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Yorkville / Marge Cline Whitewater Course flow range |
| 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.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 05551580 at 3,360 cfs / 13.58 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day June 22, 2026 discharge and stage values for Fox River at Yorkville, confirming the direct live gauge path used for this route.
- Conservative low-water floor250 cfs minimum-only
Current American Whitewater flow data for the exact Yorkville reach exposes a 250-5,000 cfs runnable envelope. Paddle Today uses only the 250 cfs floor and does not infer a preferred or upper scoring band from that envelope alone.
- Official route shapeAbout 0.23 mi / 1,100-foot bypass chute
The City of Yorkville describes the Marge Cline course as a free open-use 1,100-foot bypass chute at Bicentennial Riverfront Park with portage points at both ends and about six feet of drop across the facility.
- Exact public access coordinates41.643002, -88.445 to 41.641998, -88.443001
American Whitewater's current map page for the Yorkville reach exposes exact Put In and Take Out coordinates. The city page independently confirms the east-end boat launch and the designated downstream portage west of the Route 47 bridge on the south bank next to the Parks and Recreation building.
- Public park accessRiverfront Park boat launch and course access
The current Riverfront Park page still identifies Riverfront Park at 131 E Hydraulic Ave as home to the course and lists a public boat launch among the park features.
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
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Fox River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Fox River?
Paddle Today watches Fox River at Yorkville, IL and uses 250 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Fox River route start and end?
This route starts at Marge Cline Whitewater Course put-in / upstream launch and ends at Marge Cline Whitewater Course take-out / downstream portage, about 0.23 mi / about 1,100 ft on the water.
Is this Fox 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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