See all 2 routes on Popple River
Wisconsin | Northeast Wisconsin
Popple RiverForest Road 2398 Bridge to Morgan Lake Road Bridge
Remote upper Popple Wild River run from Forest Road 2398 to Morgan Lake Road, with marsh, boulder gardens, Burnt Dam Rapids, primitive campsite support, and the in-segment Morgan Lake Road gauge.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at FR 2398 Bridge Landing and take out at Morgan Lake Road Bridge Landing for Popple PO1. The route mixes quiet marsh, narrow forest current, Class I-II boulder gardens, Burnt Dam Rapids, a mid-route primitive campsite, and the direct in-route Popple gauge.
Access map
Put-in
Forest Road 2398 Bridge LandingFR 2398 is a hand-carry roadside bridge landing with roadside parking, not a developed livery launch.
Take-out
Morgan Lake Road Bridge LandingFR 2159 / Newald Tower Road is an intermediate bridge landing and primitive campsite, but campsite availability is first-come and should not be assumed.
Road shuttle
Run a remote Chequamegon-Nicolet / Florence County shuttle between FR 2398 and Morgan Lake Road. Download maps, inspect both bridge landings, and confirm the Morgan Lake Road gauge trend before committing.
Choose a shorter tripOptional
Access planner
Choose your launch and take-out
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Forest Road 2398 Bridge Landing to Morgan Lake Road Bridge Landing is about 11.0 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Morgan Lake Road is also the USGS gauge corridor and the take-out for this card. Identify the bridge landing before launching because continuing downstream starts the harder PO2 whitewater.
More route and safety guidance
- Wisconsin Trail Guide warns high water makes strainers and deadfall very hazardous; avoid the route above the published maximum.
- Use only the bridge landings, public campsite, and clearly legal Wild River corridor stops. Private or unclear banks are not routine scouting or camping options.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampDetailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Popple River Near Fence, WI. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Popple River Near Fence, 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 |
| Preferred range | 250 cfs to 500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 800 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin Trail Guide Popple River PO1 suggested river levels |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official travel-time segmentFS Road 2398 to Morgan Lake Road
Wisconsin DNR lists FS Road 2398 to FS Road 2159 / Morgan Lake Road as a 9-mile Popple River trip with about a five-hour travel time, noting that times vary with water levels.
- WTG route shape11.0 miles, Class II
Wisconsin Trail Guide PO1 lists Forest Road 2398 Bridge to Morgan Lake Road Bridge as 11.0 miles, with Class I-II rapids and Burnt Dam Rapids.
- Gauge bands150 / 250-500 / 800 cfs
WTG lists below 150 cfs as not recommended, 150-250 cfs as low runnable, 250-500 cfs as medium runnable, 500-800 cfs as high runnable for intermediate and advanced paddlers, and above 800 cfs as not recommended.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-2336.6 cfs / 2.00 ft at 2026-07-23 02:45 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Endpoint coordinates45.76630, -88.60577 to 45.76343, -88.46304
WTG PO1 publishes WGS84 coordinates for FR 2398 Bridge Landing and Morgan Lake Road Landing.
- Camping supportPrimitive FR 2159 campsite
WTG identifies a rustic campsite by the FR 2159 Bridge Landing in PO1 and the overview says Popple canoe/kayak campsites are primitive, free, first-come, and limited to one night.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Popple River
All 2Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.