See all 2 routes on South Fork Jump River
Wisconsin | Northwest Wisconsin
South Fork Jump River
County Line Road Picnic Area to Little Falls
Check current paddling conditions for this South Fork Jump 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
Launch at the County Line Road picnic-area put-in and paddle the milder upper South Fork Jump boulder gardens to the Little Falls access. This is the gentler South Fork card, but the finish is still a decision point because Little Falls belongs to the next, harder reach.
Put-in
County Line Road picnic-area put-inOpen mapAmerican Whitewater says the take-out can be either at the head of Little Falls or at the end of Little Falls; choose only after scouting.
Take-out
Little Falls accessOpen mapThe AW gauge correlation uses the downstream Jump River at Sheldon gauge, so combine the live number with recent rain, trend, and a visual check at the put-in.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- American Whitewater says the take-out can be either at the head of Little Falls or at the end of Little Falls; choose only after scouting.
- The AW gauge correlation uses the downstream Jump River at Sheldon gauge, so combine the live number with recent rain, trend, and a visual check at the put-in.
- This is a rural corridor with limited formal bailout information between endpoints.
Watch for
- Low-water scraping in boulder gardens when the Sheldon gauge is below the AW runnable floor.
- Little Falls getting bony below about 1,000 cfs and developing holes above about 1,000 cfs.
- Changing strainers, cold water in spring, and rock impacts in shallow riffles.
Route gallery
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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 | Jump River at Sheldon, 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 | 525 cfs to 3,525 cfs |
| Low threshold | 525 cfs |
| High threshold | 3,525 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater South Fork Jump County Line-to-Little Falls runnable 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.
- Exact AW reach5.7 miles; Class I-II
American Whitewater publishes the County Line Road Picnic Area to Little Falls South Fork Jump reach as a 5.7-mile Class I-II run.
- Runnable range525 to 3,525 cfs
American Whitewater ties the reach to USGS 05362000 Jump River at Sheldon and publishes 525-3,525 cfs as the route-specific runnable band.
- Endpoint coordinates45.3787, -90.5338 to 45.399899, -90.603897
American Whitewater publishes coordinates for the put-in and Little Falls access on the route page.
- Little Falls caveatScout or take out
American Whitewater says Little Falls is technically part of the next section and recommends scouting before deciding whether to take out above or below the rapid.
- Low/high characterBony below ~1,000 cfs; holes above ~1,000 cfs
American Whitewater warns that Little Falls is bony under 1,000 cfs and has good-sized holes above 1,000 cfs that most novices should avoid.
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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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
South Fork Jump River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling South Fork Jump River?
Paddle Today watches Jump River at Sheldon, WI and treats 525 cfs to 3,525 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this South Fork Jump River route start and end?
This route starts at County Line Road picnic-area put-in and ends at Little Falls access, about 5.7 mi on the water.
Is this South Fork Jump 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.