See all 5 routes on Pine River
Wisconsin | Southwest Wisconsin
Pine River
Canoe Port 1 / Bowen's Mill to Canoe Port 4 / Seminary Street
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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
Follow Richland Center's official Pine River canoe-port corridor from Port 1 / Bowen's Mill through town to Port 4 / Seminary Street. The river is approachable at normal levels, but the Kickapoo gauge is only a proxy and high water changes the character quickly.
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.
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
Canoe Port 1 / Bowen's Mill / County AAThe La Farge Kickapoo gauge is not on the Pine River. Check water visually at Port 1 and treat recent local rain or flood debris as controlling information.
Take-out
Canoe Port 4 / Seminary StreetStay with the city/county canoe-port chain for launches and exits; intervening banks may be private, muddy, unstable, or unsuitable for routine stops.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The La Farge Kickapoo gauge is not on the Pine River. Check water visually at Port 1 and treat recent local rain or flood debris as controlling information.
- Stay with the city/county canoe-port chain for launches and exits; intervening banks may be private, muddy, unstable, or unsuitable for routine stops.
- Seminary Street is the planned take-out for this card. Continuing downstream changes the route into a longer rural Pine River outing with fewer immediate exits.
Watch for
- Strainers, bridge debris, and fresh flood damage after storms.
- Faster pushy current and fewer beginner-friendly eddies when the proxy gauge rises above modest-flow conditions.
- The former-dam rapids before the main Seminary Street landing. Scout from land and confirm the separate upstream floating pier and trail portage are usable if bypassing the chute; the take-out pin is below the rapids.
- Urban water-quality context, cold water, muddy banks, and private-property edges.
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 | Kickapoo River at La Farge, 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 | 0 cfs to 180 cfs |
| Low threshold | 0 cfs |
| High threshold | 350 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Richland Center Pine River proxy-gauge notes |
| 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.
- Official canoe-port chainPort 1 Bowen's Mill to Port 4 Seminary Street
Richland Center and Richland County publish the Pine River canoe-ports map, including the Port 1-to-Port 4 sequence and segment distances through town.
- Exact route reportCanoe Port 1 / Hwy AA to Canoe Port 4 / Hwy Q, 5.5 miles
Wisconsin River Trips documents the Richland Center route, route distance, gradient, put-in/take-out options, and Kickapoo-at-La-Farge proxy level.
- Proxy threshold140 cfs / 2.95 ft run; lower than 180 cfs preferred; 350 cfs high caution
WRT ties the route to the La Farge Kickapoo proxy, reports a 140 cfs run, notes the Pine is usually not too low, and user reports describe 350 cfs as high and wet.
- Current gauge check208 cfs and 3.28 ft at 2026-07-16 19:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned a high-shoulder proxy value during this run, above the preferred 180 cfs target but below the 350 cfs high-water caution.
- Local access supportCity-maintained Pine River corridor
Richland Center describes Pine River canoeing/kayaking, local maintenance, and several canoe ports for paddling access through the city.
- Segment hazards and Port 4 boundarySwift current and submerged logs between Ports 2-3; rapids chute below Port 4
The route report identifies swift current and submerged logs between Ports 2 and 3, and places the Port 4 floating pier and trail portage above the former-dam rapids chute.
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.
Share your trip
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 Kickapoo River at La Farge, WI and treats 0 cfs to 180 cfs 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 Canoe Port 1 / Bowen's Mill / County AA and ends at Canoe Port 4 / Seminary Street, about About 5.5 mi on the water.
Is this Pine 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.