See all 3 routes on La Crosse River
Wisconsin | Western Wisconsin
La Crosse River
Highway 108 / County C to Veterans Memorial County Park
Check current paddling conditions for this La Crosse 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 below the West Salem / Neshonoc dam area and take out at Veterans Memorial County Park for a compact La Crosse River moving-water route. The La Crosse gauge is currently inside the preferred window but near its high end, so expect brisker current than a low-water day.
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 108 / County C public landing below Neshonoc damOpen mapLaunch below the dam/outflow area. Do not drift upstream toward the dam or treat the powerhouse/tunnel outflow as part of this route.
Take-out
Veterans Memorial County Park canoe landingOpen mapThe Veterans Memorial campground landing is marked from the water but easier to miss from land. Scout it before launching.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Launch below the dam/outflow area. Do not drift upstream toward the dam or treat the powerhouse/tunnel outflow as part of this route.
- The Veterans Memorial campground landing is marked from the water but easier to miss from land. Scout it before launching.
- The former-dam ledge downstream from County M can be portaged on river left only where access is legal and practical; do not use private river-right yards.
Watch for
- Class II former-dam ledge, riffles, boulder gardens, and standing waves.
- Leaning branches and strainers in fast current, especially when the La Crosse gauge rises above about 450 cfs.
- Cold water, campground traffic, private banks, and the risk of overshooting the take-out.
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 | La Crosse River Near La Crosse, 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 | 300 cfs to 450 cfs |
| Low threshold | 250 cfs |
| High threshold | 601 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips and Miles Paddled West Salem / La Crosse gauge notes |
| 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 route reportHighway 108 to Veterans Memorial Campground, 4.2 miles
Wisconsin River Trips documents the public landing by Highway 108, Veterans Memorial Campground take-out, 4.2-mile distance, riffles, and former-dam class II ledge.
- Gauge bands300-450 cfs useful, 601+ too high
Wisconsin River Trips says 300 cfs is typical, 250 cfs is rarely reached, above 450 cfs gets ugly, and 1000 cfs happens only a few times a year. Miles Paddled separately points downstream West Salem-to-Mississippi paddling toward about 450 cfs at the La Crosse gauge.
- Current gauge check435 cfs / 3.05 ft at 2026-07-23 01:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned same-day La Crosse River near La Crosse values during this run, inside the selected preferred window but near the high end.
- Endpoint coordinates43.91421, -91.07612 to 43.89187, -91.11906
Miles Paddled publishes coordinates for the below-dam Highway 108 / County C put-in and Veterans Memorial County Park take-out.
- Campground endpointVeterans Memorial County Park
La Crosse County lists Veterans Memorial Campground on the La Crosse River, with a normal camping season and park services. Treat camping as endpoint campground support, not informal river camping.
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
La Crosse River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling La Crosse River?
Paddle Today watches La Crosse River Near La Crosse, WI and treats 300 cfs to 450 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this La Crosse River route start and end?
This route starts at Highway 108 / County C public landing below Neshonoc dam and ends at Veterans Memorial County Park canoe landing, about About 4.2 mi on the water.
Is this La Crosse 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.