See all 3 routes on Pocomoke River
Maryland | Worcester County / Eastern Maryland
Pocomoke River
Mattaponi Soft Launch to Milburn Landing Area
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
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
A shorter Pocomoke State Forest route from the managed Mattaponi soft launch at Blades Road to Milburn Landing. It is an alternate public access section within the official Shad–Milburn water trail and is useful for paddlers who want a compact blackwater trip with a state-park endpoint.
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
Mattaponi Soft Launch at Blades RoadMattaponi is a managed soft launch with small parking and a short carry, not a guaranteed trailer-access site.
Take-out
Milburn Landing Area public boat ramp and kayak launchMilburn is a seasonal public park launch; verify operation and take-out access before relying on it.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Mattaponi is a managed soft launch with small parking and a short carry, not a guaranteed trailer-access site.
- Milburn is a seasonal public park launch; verify operation and take-out access before relying on it.
- The upstream Willards gauge is proxy context and cannot determine local water depth in the forest corridor.
Watch for
- USGS 01485000 upstream proxy discharge and trend
- actual depth, recent rain, dark-water visibility, submerged vegetation, strainers, cold water, thunderstorms, and water-quality advisories
- sunrise/sunset, seasonal park operations, launch fees/parking, carry distance, camping reservations, and private-bank boundaries
- Mattaponi small-lot/carry and forest notices, Milburn April–mid-December season, camping reservations, and daylight
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 | Pocomoke River near Willards, MD |
| 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Maryland DNR Lower Eastern Shore paddling guidance |
| 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.
- Named moving-water corridorMattaponi Soft Launch to Milburn Landing, approximately 2.6 miles
The Mattaponi soft launch is a managed public access point within the DNR Shad–Milburn water-trail corridor, paired with Milburn’s public ramp.
- Authoritative public accessDNR Mattaponi Soft Launch and Milburn Landing public ramp/kayak launch
Maryland DNR documents the Blades Road/Mattaponi access and Milburn’s state-park launch and seasonal posture.
- Proxy flow evidenceUSGS 01485000 near Willards; actual depth and trend required
The same-river station is upstream and supplies context only; no local numeric safe cutoff is claimed.
- Live gaugeUSGS 01485000, Pocomoke River near Willards, MD
This is a clearly labeled proxy or route-context station; local water, tributaries, releases, and weather can differ materially.
- Approved route imageryRights-cleared public-agency or public-domain corridor image
Rights-cleared Maryland public river image used as regional moving-water context; it does not certify Pocomoke flow, vegetation, access, or water-quality conditions.
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.
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Quick answers
Pocomoke River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Pocomoke River?
Paddle Today watches Pocomoke River near Willards, MD and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Pocomoke River route start and end?
This route starts at Mattaponi Soft Launch at Blades Road and ends at Milburn Landing Area public boat ramp and kayak launch, about Approximately 2.6 miles from the Mattaponi soft launch to Milburn Landing, within the official Shad–Milburn water-trail corridor on the water.
Is this Pocomoke 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
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.