See all 5 routes on Kickapoo River
Wisconsin | Driftless Wisconsin
Kickapoo River
County Highway B Canoe Landing to County Highway S Canoe Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Kickapoo 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 Highway B public canoe landing, portage the Gays Mills low-head dam, and finish at County Highway S for a Lower Kickapoo day with fast current, bluffs, strainers, muddy banks, and a direct Steuben stage ladder.
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
County Highway B Canoe LandingOpen mapThe Highway B and Highway S landings are public but can be muddy. Inspect the exit at Highway S before launching.
Take-out
County Highway S Canoe LandingOpen mapRobb Park below the Gays Mills dam can split the route, but this card includes the full Highway B-to-Highway S day and mandatory portage.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Highway B and Highway S landings are public but can be muddy. Inspect the exit at Highway S before launching.
- Robb Park below the Gays Mills dam can split the route, but this card includes the full Highway B-to-Highway S day and mandatory portage.
- Do not continue below Highway S unless a separate lower-Kickapoo route, shuttle, and high-water decision are planned.
Watch for
- The Gays Mills low-head dam is a mandatory portage on the east-bank path. Do not run the dam.
- Fast current and submerged logs, especially in the first two miles and when the Steuben stage is rising.
- High water above the WRT 7.5 ft caution, muddy banks, cold water, remote bailout spacing, pasture edges, and private land away from public accesses.
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 | Kickapoo River at Steuben, 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 | 6.60 ft to 7.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 0.00 ft |
| High threshold | 7.50 ft |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Gays Mills Steuben-stage ladder |
| 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 reportHwy B Canoe Landing to Hwy S Canoe Landing, 8.6 mi
Wisconsin River Trips documents the exact route, mileage, landings, bike shuttle, current, strainers, dam portage, and Steuben gauge level.
- Public access inventoryCounty Highway B, Robb Park, County Highway S
Crawford County lists the Lower Kickapoo public-access chain including County Highway B Canoe Landing, Gays Mills Robb Park, and County Highway S Canoe Landing.
- Official hazard and gauge contextSteuben gauge and Gays Mills low-head dam
Wisconsin DNR notes the Kickapoo has USGS gauges including Steuben and identifies the Gays Mills low-head dam as a navigational hazard that should be avoided.
- Stage ladder6.6-7.0 ft average to above average; 7.5+ possibly too high
WRT says below 6.5 ft remains plenty deep, 6.6-6.7 ft is average, 6.8-7.0 ft above average, 7.1-7.4 ft high, and 7.5+ ft may be too high.
- Current gauge check578 cfs / 6.88 ft at 2026-07-23 03:45 CDT
USGS Water Services placed the Steuben gauge inside the route-specific average-to-above-average 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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
Kickapoo River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Kickapoo River?
Paddle Today watches Kickapoo River at Steuben, WI and treats 6.60 ft to 7.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Kickapoo River route start and end?
This route starts at County Highway B Canoe Landing and ends at County Highway S Canoe Landing, about 8.6 mi on the water.
Is this Kickapoo 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.