See all 3 routes on Popple River
Wisconsin | Northeast Wisconsin
Popple River
Highway 101 Wayside to White Ash / White Birch Road Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Popple 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 at Highway 101 Wayside and take out on the Pine River just below the Popple confluence at the White Ash / White Birch Road landing. This is the downstream PO2 split with boulder gardens, Washburn Falls, Jennings Falls, rugged portages, and a proxy gauge upstream at Morgan Lake Road.
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
Highway 101 Wayside LandingOpen mapHighway 101 Wayside has a short trail from parking to a small gravel beach downstream of the bridge.
Take-out
White Ash / White Birch Road LandingOpen mapThe take-out is on the Pine River about 30 yards below the confluence, reached from White Ash Road / White Birch Road. Confirm road and landing condition before launching.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Highway 101 Wayside has a short trail from parking to a small gravel beach downstream of the bridge.
- The take-out is on the Pine River about 30 yards below the confluence, reached from White Ash Road / White Birch Road. Confirm road and landing condition before launching.
- The selected USGS gauge is upstream in PO1. Use it as a corridor proxy and make a visual decision at Highway 101 before committing to the falls.
Watch for
- Nearly continuous Class I-II boulder gardens shortly below Highway 101.
- Washburn Falls, where WTG warns paddlers may not recognize the falls until they are committed if they miss the right-bank portage sign.
- Jennings Falls / Popple Rapids, sharp bends, granite walls, ledges, sticky holes, and no developed portage.
- Strainers, deadfall, cold water, remote rescue exposure, and a missed take-out into the Pine River corridor.
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 | 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 |
| Target band | 250 cfs to 600 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 800 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin Trail Guide Popple River PO2 suggested river levels |
| 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 segmentState Highway 101 to Pine River confluence
Wisconsin DNR lists State Highway 101 to the confluence with the Pine River as a 6-mile Popple River trip with about a four-hour travel time.
- County access and difficulty101 to confluence, expert-level skills
Florence County says canoe trips on the Popple require expert-level canoeing skills and describes the 101-to-confluence trip as 6.3 river miles with Washburn Falls and Jennings Falls hazards.
- Gauge bands150 / 250-600 / 800 cfs
WTG PO2 lists below 150 cfs as not recommended, 250-600 cfs as the most useful runnable range, and above 1000 cfs as not recommended; its suggested maximum is 800 cfs, which the app uses as the conservative ceiling.
- Current gauge check36.6 cfs / 2.00 ft at 2026-07-23 02:45 CDT
USGS Water Services returned same-day Popple River near Fence values during this run, below the selected route floor.
- Endpoint coordinates45.80005, -88.39733 to 45.83957, -88.33890
WTG PO2 publishes WGS84 coordinates for the Highway 101 Wayside Landing and the Pine River / White Birch Road Landing reached by White Ash Road.
- Primary hazardsWashburn Falls and Jennings Falls
WTG warns that paddlers can be in the middle of Washburn Falls before realizing it if they miss the portage sign, and says Jennings Falls should be scouted or portaged from river right.
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
Popple River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Popple River?
Paddle Today watches Popple River Near Fence, WI and treats 250 cfs to 600 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Popple River route start and end?
This route starts at Highway 101 Wayside Landing and ends at White Ash / White Birch Road Landing, about About 6 to 6.3 mi on the water.
Is this Popple 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.