See all 9 routes on Maquoketa River
Iowa | Eastern Iowa
Maquoketa RiverMillertown Bridge to Bridgeport Access
Lower Maquoketa day from the public Millertown Bridge access on 30th Avenue to Bridgeport near Maquoketa, with Jackson County water-trail support and a direct Maquoketa gauge.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch from the Monmouth-area Millertown access chain and take out at Bridgeport near Maquoketa for a lower Maquoketa flatwater day. The direct Maquoketa gauge is fresh and route-specific enough for scoring.
Access map
Put-in
Millertown Bridge Access / Monmouth corridorMillertown's corrected coordinate is the 30th Avenue bridge-axis access anchor, checked against aerial imagery. It is not a surveyed water-entry coordinate; confirm the signed carry and landing before unloading.
Take-out
Bridgeport AccessBridgeport is the intended take-out for this card. Do not drift downstream into Maquoketa town or flood-control structures without a separate route plan.
Road shuttle
Stage Bridgeport first, then drive to the signed Millertown Bridge access on 30th Avenue. Check Jackson County access signs before unloading because this lower chain has multiple named bridge and park accesses.
Choose a shorter tripOptional
Access planner
Choose your launch and take-out
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Millertown Bridge Access / Monmouth corridor to Bridgeport Access is about 12.0 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Use only named public accesses such as Millertown, Joinerville, or Bridgeport; the lower river is bordered by private land in places.
More route and safety guidance
- Use the signed Millertown Bridge access on 30th Avenue; the stored point is the bridge-axis access anchor, not a surveyed water-entry coordinate.
- Bridgeport is upstream of Maquoketa town and the lower gauge corridor. Do not continue downstream without a separate access and flood-stage review.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampDetailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Maquoketa River near Maquoketa, IA. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Maquoketa River near Maquoketa, IA |
| 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 |
| Preferred range | 200 cfs to 2,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,500 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Monmouth to Maquoketa estimated range |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-231,890 cfs / 12.63 ft at 2026-07-23 00:15 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Threshold range200-2,500 cfs
CanWePaddle ties Monmouth-to-Maquoketa to USGS 05418500 and estimates a 200 to 2,500 cfs runnable window.
- Access chainMillertown, Joinerville, Bridgeport, and downstream Jackson County accesses
Jackson County Conservation lists the lower Maquoketa water-trail accesses and says the river is open to the public year round.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Maquoketa River
All 9Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.