See all 6 routes on Milwaukee River
Wisconsin | Milwaukee metro
Milwaukee River
Thiensville Village Park to Badger Meter River Park
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
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
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
Launch below the Mequon-Thiensville dam at Village Park and take out at Badger Meter River Park in Brown Deer for an easy lower-Milwaukee water-trail run. The Cedarburg USGS station is upstream, so pair the gauge band with same-day visual checks at the launch.
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
Thiensville Village Park LaunchUse the Village Park launch below the dam for this route. The Thiensville park page and boating guidance identify Village Park as the launch and dam portage area; do not run the dam.
Take-out
Badger Meter River Park canoe/kayak launchBadger Meter River Park has a public canoe/kayak launch, but Wisconsin River Trips notes the exit includes a grassy uphill carry of roughly 300 feet.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Use the Village Park launch below the dam for this route. The Thiensville park page and boating guidance identify Village Park as the launch and dam portage area; do not run the dam.
- Badger Meter River Park has a public canoe/kayak launch, but Wisconsin River Trips notes the exit includes a grassy uphill carry of roughly 300 feet.
- The Cedarburg gauge is upstream of the whole reach. Local storms, dam operations, and downstream tributary input can make the water different than the gauge suggests.
- Most banks are private or urban park frontage. Use only the named public launches and legal shoreline stops.
Watch for
- Fast or rising water after rain, minor riffles, bridge constrictions, strainers, and floating debris.
- Urban runoff and water-quality concerns after storms.
- Private islands, riprapped yards, fishing lines, and narrow channels around bends.
- Low water can expose rocks and make riffles scrapey even when the route remains passable.
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
Data and sources
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 |
| Target band | 201 cfs to 300 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 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 - Thiensville gauge guide |
| 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 reportThiensville Village Park to Badger Meter River Park, 4.7 miles
Wisconsin River Trips documents this exact lower-Milwaukee route, access pair, distance, expected two-hour paddle time, and Cedarburg gauge reading.
- Gauge bands101-200 / 201-300 / 801+ cfs
WRT treats 101-200 cfs as low but navigable, 201-300 cfs as average, 601-800 cfs as high, and 801+ cfs as maybe too high for enjoyable paddling.
- Current gauge check170 cfs / 5.64 ft at 2026-07-16 21:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned a same-day Cedarburg value in the WRT low-but-navigable band during this run.
- Official accessVillage Park and Badger Meter River Park
Thiensville says Village Park has a boat launch and trailer parking and serves as a portage around the Mequon-Thiensville dam; Brown Deer says Badger Meter River Park has parking and canoe/kayak launch access.
- Route corroborationTreasures of Oz Route M-13
Treasures of Oz describes the same Thiensville-to-Brown-Deer route with launch below the dam, parking/toilets at Thiensville, and a canoe landing south of the Brown Deer Road bridge.
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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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Milwaukee River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Milwaukee River?
Paddle Today watches Milwaukee River near Cedarburg, WI and treats 201 cfs to 300 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Milwaukee River route start and end?
This route starts at Thiensville Village Park Launch and ends at Badger Meter River Park canoe/kayak launch, about About 4.7 mi on the water.
Is this Milwaukee River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.