See all 6 routes on Milwaukee River
Wisconsin | Southeast Wisconsin
Milwaukee River
Lime Kiln Park to Village Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Milwaukee 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
Put in at Lime Kiln Park in Grafton and take out at Thiensville Village Park. This is one of the more interesting lower-Milwaukee day trips because the upper mile is genuinely lively before the river widens and slows.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Lime Kiln Park canoe rampLime Kiln Park is an official canoe-ramp access with multiple parking lots, but the exact launch line still deserves a quick scout because paddlers can choose between a calmer dock launch and a more direct upper launch near the opening features.
Take-out
Village Park boat launch (Thiensville)Village Park is the correct official Thiensville take-out. The old Villa Grove naming from the carried-over draft was weaker than the current village boating and park pages.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Lime Kiln Park is an official canoe-ramp access with multiple parking lots, but the exact launch line still deserves a quick scout because paddlers can choose between a calmer dock launch and a more direct upper launch near the opening features.
- Village Park is the correct official Thiensville take-out. The old Villa Grove naming from the carried-over draft was weaker than the current village boating and park pages.
Watch for
- A quick opening decision around the island at Lime Kiln Park, with riffles on one side and a Class I ledge/drop on the other.
- Shallow gravel runs and extra scraping if Cedarburg falls back toward the floor.
- More development, slower current, and occasional powerboat traffic in the lower half approaching Thiensville.
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 | Milwaukee River near Cedarburg, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 260 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MilesPaddled Milwaukee River III route-day gauge note |
| 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-day floor260 cfs
MilesPaddled ran this exact Lime Kiln Park to Thiensville route at 260 cfs on the Cedarburg gauge and recommended that level for the trip.
- Route shape8.75 river miles
MilesPaddled documents the route as an 8.75-mile shuttle from Lime Kiln Park in Grafton to Thiensville.
- Put-in authorityVillage park with canoe ramp
Grafton officially says Lime Kiln Park includes a canoe ramp plus upper and lower parking lots, which is stronger endpoint support than the old route draft had.
- Take-out authorityVillage Park boat launch and trailer parking
Thiensville officially says Village Park has a boat launch and trailer parking on the Milwaukee River and serves as the local portage point around the dam.
- Route characterRiffles and Class I ledge up top; slower suburban lower half
MilesPaddled describes an opening island split with either riffles and a rock wall or a Class I drop, followed by a wider slower lower river with more development and powerboats.
- Operations noteVillage Park hours 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The official Village Park page confirms a boat launch, two parking lots, and posted park hours, which strengthens the Thiensville finish logistics.
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
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Milwaukee River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Milwaukee River?
Paddle Today watches Milwaukee River near Cedarburg, WI and uses 260 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Milwaukee River route start and end?
This route starts at Lime Kiln Park canoe ramp and ends at Village Park boat launch (Thiensville), about 8.75 mi on the water.
Is this Milwaukee 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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