See all 6 routes on North Fork Maquoketa River
Iowa | Northeast Iowa
North Fork Maquoketa River
Cascade Historic Limestone Silo to Caven Bridge Access
Check current paddling conditions for this North Fork Maquoketa 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 at Cascade and stay on the North Fork all the way to Caven Bridge for the full wilderness planner route. This strings together the scenic Cascade opener, the isolated Whitewater-to-Ozark middle, and the short Ozark Wildlife Area finish into one long serious 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
Cascade Historic Limestone Silo / Cascade landingOpen mapUse the public ramp below the Cascade dam, not an improvised launch in the dam zone or above the structure.
Take-out
Caven Bridge Access / 60th AveOpen mapOnce you pass the Whitewater Creek mouth, practical public bailout options become scarce until Ozark or Caven. Do not launch late or with a group that is uncertain about the mileage.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Use the public ramp below the Cascade dam, not an improvised launch in the dam zone or above the structure.
- Once you pass the Whitewater Creek mouth, practical public bailout options become scarce until Ozark or Caven. Do not launch late or with a group that is uncertain about the mileage.
- Caven Bridge Access is an undeveloped east-bank access at the old bridge corridor rather than a polished ramp. Plan the finish and parking before committing to the route.
Watch for
- A very long sequence of riffles, outside-bend boulders, wood, and fatigue-related mistakes late in the day.
- Fast rises and muddy water after storms, which make this full corridor much more consequential than the shorter live North Fork routes.
- Private banks and private campground accesses that should not be treated as public stops or fallback take-outs.
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 | North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, 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 |
| Target band | 231 cfs to 400 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 701 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips North Fork Maquoketa Fulton gauge ladder |
| 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.
- Public launch supportCascade Historic Limestone Silo / Cascade landing
The City of Cascade still says a landing and parking area near Riverview Park lets canoers and kayakers float the North Fork south of town, and the existing live Cascade routes use the same concrete-ramp launch by the historic silo.
- Published route chainCascade to D61 plus Whitewater-to-Ozark plus Ozark-to-Caven, about 24.3 mi
Wisconsin River Trips documents Cascade to D61 at 7.8 miles, Whitewater Creek Mouth to 21st Ave / Ozark Bridge at 12.1 miles, and the Ozark Wildlife Area route from 21st Ave to 60th Ave / Caven at 4.4 miles, supporting the full Cascade-to-Caven continuation.
- County corridor supportCascade to Ozark / Caven wilderness stretch
Jones County describes the lower North Fork below Cascade as a scenic remote corridor and specifically names the Jackson County Ozark Bridge and Caven Bridge Access take-outs.
- Public take-outCaven Bridge Access / 60th Ave
Jackson County Conservation lists Caven Bridge Access on the North Fork water-trail table and notes that the public take-out is on the east bank at the old bridge corridor.
- Gauge ladder231 to 400 cfs broad target
Wisconsin River Trips uses the same Fulton-gauge ladder across the North Fork Maquoketa corridor, with less than 150 cfs flagged as too shallow and 701+ cfs as beyond the normal recreational recommendation.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05418400 at 939 cfs / 5.03 ft
USGS Water Services returned current North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton values of 939 cfs and 5.03 ft at 2026-07-06 12:00 CDT.
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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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
North Fork Maquoketa River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling North Fork Maquoketa River?
Paddle Today watches North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, IA and treats 231 cfs to 400 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this North Fork Maquoketa River route start and end?
This route starts at Cascade Historic Limestone Silo / Cascade landing and ends at Caven Bridge Access / 60th Ave, about About 24.3 mi on the water.
Is this North Fork Maquoketa River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.