See all 6 routes on Pine River
Wisconsin | Northeast Wisconsin
Pine River
Highway 55 Bridge to Stevens Lake Road
Check current paddling conditions for this Pine River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
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 below the Highway 55 bridge and take out at Stevens Lake Road for the upper Pine A whitewater reach. Use the live Pine powerplant gauge plus the Highway 55 visual rock check, and skip the run when the gauge is below the AW floor or the launch rock says the upper rapids are under-watered.
Put-in
Highway 55 bridge put-inOpen mapHighway 55 parking is roadside only; AW describes a river-left launch below the bridge with a large staging area but a narrow slot to the water.
Take-out
Stevens Lake Road bridge take-outOpen mapStevens Lake Road parking is roadside only and the take-out is on river left just upstream from the bridge.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Highway 55 parking is roadside only; AW describes a river-left launch below the bridge with a large staging area but a narrow slot to the water.
- Stevens Lake Road parking is roadside only and the take-out is on river left just upstream from the bridge.
- The selected USGS gauge is far downstream and below dam influence. AW explicitly says the Highway 55 visual rock check is critical for this upper rocky reach.
- Do not rely on private cabins, tree-farm areas, or marshy banks as legal exit points unless a land manager separately confirms access.
Watch for
- Multiple long Class I-II rock gardens, including a Class II+ old-dam channel.
- Old Dam Rapids left-channel metal spikes, lodged trees, and a tight right-channel line that should be scouted.
- Alder tangles, sweepers, strainers, cold water, marshy scouting, and slow rescue response.
- Low water below 3.3 ft at USGS 04064500, when the upper rapids become scrapey and the Highway 55 rock check may reject the run even before the app score does.
Route gallery
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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 | Pine River Below Pine River Powerplant near Florence, WI |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 3.30 ft to 10.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.30 ft |
| High threshold | 10.00 ft |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Pine A gauge correlation |
| 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.
- AW route12.8 mi, Class I-II
American Whitewater lists Pine A as Highway 55 to Stevens Lake Road with 12.8 miles, 7 fpm average gradient, and multiple Class I-II rapid sequences.
- AW gauge correlation3.3 to 10 ft
The current AW page serializes the USGS 04064500 correlation as a 3.3 ft low-runnable floor and 10 ft high-runnable ceiling for Pine A.
- Live gauge checkUSGS 04064500 at 1.88 ft / 177 cfs
USGS Water Services returned current data for Pine River below Pine River Powerplant near Florence at 2026-07-22 17:00 CDT.
- Endpoint coordinates45.90880, -88.82130 to 45.87403, -88.68587
American Whitewater publishes coordinate-backed access records for the Highway 55 put-in and Stevens Lake Road take-out.
- Safety contextOld Dam Rapids and strainers
AW warns of alder tangles, a river-wide sweeper, and submerged metal spikes in the left channel at Old Dam Rapids; DNR says Pine paddlers should scout rapids and portage when in doubt.
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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Pine River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Pine River?
Paddle Today watches Pine River Below Pine River Powerplant near Florence, WI and treats 3.30 ft to 10.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Pine River route start and end?
This route starts at Highway 55 bridge put-in and ends at Stevens Lake Road bridge take-out, about About 12.8 to 13.4 mi on the water.
Is this Pine 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.