See all 6 routes on Milwaukee River
Wisconsin | Southeast Wisconsin
Milwaukee RiverFireman's Park to Waubedonia Park
Flow-sensitive southeast-Wisconsin day trip from Newburg through Riveredge and Waubeka to Waubedonia Park. Cedarburg is the direct Milwaukee River gauge, and community guidance now gives a usable low-to-high ladder for this shallow, riffly corridor.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Put in at Fireman's Park in Newburg and take out at Waubedonia Park in Fredonia. This is a flow-sensitive easy river where being clearly above the low-water floor matters more than hunting for a perfect sweet spot.
Access map
Put-in
Fireman's Park (Newburg)The Fireman's Park parking lot sits on the opposite side of the bridge from the river access, so expect a short carry along the paved path and under the bridge.
Take-out
Waubedonia Park (Fredonia)Waubedonia is the cleaner endpoint and has an official launch, but still confirm park hours and parking rules before leaving a vehicle.
Road shuttle
The standard shuttle is a little over 6 road miles. Car shuttle is simplest, though a bike shuttle is workable if your group wants it.
More route and safety guidance
- Confirm the Cedarburg trend and recent rain because this downstream gauge can lag local conditions on the upper route.
- Use only the named Fireman's Park, Riveredge/Waubeka, and Waubedonia accesses; the full route is a long, exposed day.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
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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
Milwaukee River near Cedarburg, WI. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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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.
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- 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 | Milwaukee River near Cedarburg, WI |
| Discharge | Checking |
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| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
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| Preferred range | 390 cfs to 600 cfs |
| Low threshold | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | 801 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Milwaukee River - Newburg gauge guidance |
| 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.
- Newburg gauge ladder200-400 best clarity; 400-600 fine; 600+ less fun
Wisconsin River Trips says the Newburg reach is best around 200 to 400 cfs at Cedarburg for clarity, still likely fine at 400 to 600 cfs, and probably doable but less enjoyable above 600 cfs.
- Full-route low-water check390 cfs near the practical floor
Miles Paddled ran Newburg to Waubedonia at a Cedarburg reading around 390 cfs and describes it as just past the point of too low, with some shallow scraping still present.
- Trip style11-mile easy day
Miles Paddled documents the full Newburg Fireman's Park to Waubedonia Park trip as an 11-mile paddle with mostly mild riffles, wooded banks, Riveredge Nature Center scenery, and a little over 6 miles of shuttle.
- Public put-inFireman's Park / Main Street bridge
Wisconsin River Trips describes a public put-in in Fireman's Park just downstream of the Main Street bridge; Miles Paddled uses the same access and documents the short carry from parking.
- Newburg river restorationBarrier removed in 2012
Ozaukee County says the Newburg project restored recreational passage and added improved kayak/canoe access.
- Waubeka river restorationBarrier removed in 2004
Ozaukee County's Ehlers Park history says removal at the Waubeka site left more than 15 miles of the Milwaukee River free-flowing to Grafton.
- Downstream high-water check801+ cfs too high for most groups
On the adjacent Waubeka-to-Waubedonia section, Wisconsin River Trips treats 801+ cfs at Cedarburg as too high for most enjoyable paddling. The app uses that as a conservative high-water cutoff for the combined route.
- Access qualityCounty park canoe/kayak launch
Ozaukee County says Waubedonia Park has boat/canoe/kayak launches, day-visitor hours, restrooms, and seasonal camping.
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 Milwaukee River
All 6Nearby routes within 75 miles
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