See all 3 routes on Prairie River
Wisconsin | Northwoods Wisconsin
Prairie RiverCounty Road C to Stange's Park
Lower Prairie River route from County Road C into Merrill's Stange's Park, with Class I riffles, rock-dodging, wooded bends, Prairie Trails Park as a rest stop, and a direct Merrill gauge range.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at County Road C and take out at Stange's Park for the lower Prairie River run into Merrill. The route uses the direct Merrill gauge and Miles Paddled's 200-400 cfs recommendation.
Access map
Put-in
County Road C Prairie River accessMiles Paddled says the correct County C launch is downstream left; the upstream-left riprap is not suitable.
Take-out
Stange's ParkStange's Park is a public Merrill park, but the river take-out is a grassy bank cue rather than a large boat ramp. Identify it from land first.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Stange's Park in Merrill, then drive back to County Road C. Scout the County C downstream-left launch and the Stange's Park river-right take-out before committing.
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Access planner
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This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
County Road C Prairie River access to Stange's Park is about 9.3 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Do not extend to the Wisconsin River without separate planning for the mouth, bike-path bridge, reservoir current, and downstream dam context.
More route and safety guidance
- Use the downstream-left County Road C launch area described by Miles Paddled rather than the riprapped upstream-left bank.
- Take out on river right at Stange's Park before treating any downstream Wisconsin River extension as a separate trip with its own current, bridge, and dam context.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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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
Prairie River Near Merrill, 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.
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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.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Prairie River Near Merrill, 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 |
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| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | 200 cfs to 400 cfs |
| Low threshold | 199 cfs |
| High threshold | 401 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Miles Paddled Prairie River II recommended 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.
- Exact routeCounty Road C to Stange's Park, 9.25 mi
Miles Paddled documents the route, endpoints, GPS coordinates, distance, time, Class I character, Prairie Trails Park stop, and take-out cues.
- Threshold range200-400 cfs
Miles Paddled recorded 325 cfs as perfect and recommends not running below 200 cfs or much above 400 cfs.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-22USGS 05394500
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 parkStange's Park on the Prairie River
City of Merrill lists Stange's Park as an 11.6-acre public park along the Prairie River with parking, restrooms, shelter, playground equipment, and scenic walking bridges.
- Local corridor contextPrairie River paddling near Merrill
The Merrill Chamber describes the Prairie River as a popular local stretch starting around County Road C and flowing to Stange Park, with normal summer flows often around 150-200 cfs.
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 Prairie River
All 3Nearby routes within 75 miles
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