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See all 3 routes on Prairie River

Wisconsin | Northwoods Wisconsin

Prairie River

County Road CCC to Prairie Forks Drive

Check current paddling conditions for this Prairie River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Route location

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DistanceAbout 6.2 mi
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 3 hr
ShuttleCar or bike
The Prairie River flows through a wooded corridor near the National Water Prediction Service gauge at Merrill, Wisconsin.
River contextPrairie River near Merrill river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by NOAA National Water Prediction Service

Need to know

Why this call
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

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Short-route forecast

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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

On-water distanceAbout 6.2 miCounty Road CCC to Prairie Forks Drive
DifficultymoderateNormal levels are mostly Class I riffles and light boulder gardens, but the route is not a simple float because the middle reach has several logjams and the river is cold, narrow, and quick.
ShuttleCar or bikeRun a rural shuttle between the Prairie Forks Drive public parking area and the County Road CCC fishing wayside. WRT reports a 3.6-mile bike shuttle east of the river on paved roads, but vehicle shuttles are simpler for most groups.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Use the named public-style fishing and bridge access areas, follow any Lincoln County or trout-stream posting, and avoid private banks.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is documented. Treat this as a day route; Merrill-area lodging, Council Grounds State Park, or other basecamps require separate reservation and rule checks.
SeasonApr-OctSpring and fall are the best bets for clear, padded flow. Summer can be shallow, while heavy rain makes the small river faster, murkier, and more hazardous around bends, bridge corners, and logjams.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at the County Road CCC public fishing wayside and take out at Prairie Forks Drive for the upper Prairie River Dudley segment. The best scenery is early, while the Bachelors Lane to Town Hall Road middle reach needs a wood check before committing to the full 6.2 miles.

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Prepare this trip

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Start

Put-in

County Road CCC public fishing wayside
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County Road CCC is a public fishing wayside rather than a full-service launch. Confirm parking, footing, and any fishing-season crowding before unloading.

Finish

Take-out

Prairie Forks Drive bridge access
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Prairie Forks Drive has a public parking lot northwest of the bridge, but the landing is still a bridge/fishing access. Scout it before passing Bachelors Lane.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • County Road CCC is a public fishing wayside rather than a full-service launch. Confirm parking, footing, and any fishing-season crowding before unloading.
  • Prairie Forks Drive has a public parking lot northwest of the bridge, but the landing is still a bridge/fishing access. Scout it before passing Bachelors Lane.
  • Bachelors Lane is the recommended shorter take-out in WRT if the logjam section below it has not been checked. Do not use nearby private farm or horse-property banks.

Watch for

  • Two minor logjams upstream of Bachelors Lane and roughly five more between Bachelors Lane and Town Hall Road, including two that WRT found difficult.
  • Brisk Class I riffles, shallow rocky boulder gardens, cold trout-stream water, and quick bends into wood.
  • Higher water above the WRT target window pushing into strainers, lowering clarity, and making wades or portages less forgiving.

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.

The Prairie River flows through a wooded corridor near the National Water Prediction Service gauge at Merrill, Wisconsin.
Prairie River near Merrill river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by NOAA National Water Prediction Service
U.S. government work

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
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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.

Why
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Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge sitePrairie River Near Merrill, WI
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band61 cfs to 100 cfs
Low threshold60 cfs
High threshold401 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreWisconsin River Trips Prairie River Dudley gauge guide
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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.

  • Route-specific guideCounty Road CCC to Prairie Forks Drive, 6.2 mi

    Wisconsin River Trips documents the exact Dudley route, access pair, shuttle, hazards, alternate take-outs, and subreach-by-subreach route shape.

    Source

  • Gauge ladder61-100 cfs target; 401+ cfs extremely high

    WRT ties the route to the direct Prairie River near Merrill gauge and publishes route-specific cfs estimates for low, good, above-normal, high, very-high, and extremely-high levels.

    Source

  • Access supportPublic fishing wayside and public parking lot

    WRT describes County Road CCC as a public fishing wayside and Prairie Forks Drive as a bridge access with a public parking lot northwest of the bridge.

    Source

  • Current gauge check116 cfs / 2.06 ft at 2026-07-16 22:00 CDT

    USGS Water Services returned this provisional direct-gauge reading during this automation run, above the WRT target range but below the very-high bands.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

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Reports

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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.

More in Wisconsin

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Wisconsin route guideBrowse every tracked Wisconsin route.Northwoods WisconsinJump to routes in this region.

More on Prairie River

All 3
County Road C to Stange's ParkNorthwoods WisconsinModerate · About 9.25 miCounty Road J to County Road CNorthwoods WisconsinHard · About 10 mi

Nearby routes by distance

Eau Claire River - East BranchCounty Road I to Highway 64 · about 15 mi awayModerate · About 6.1 miEau Claire River - East BranchWayside Park / Highway 45 to County Road I · about 17 mi awayEasy · About 5.1 miEau Claire RiverRoss Avenue River Access to Yellow Banks Park · about 29 mi awayModerate · About 2.7 miWolf RiverHwy 52 to West Hollister Road · about 30 mi awayModerate · 6.5 mi

Quick answers

Prairie River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Prairie River?

Paddle Today watches Prairie River Near Merrill, WI and treats 61 cfs to 100 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does this Prairie River route start and end?

This route starts at County Road CCC public fishing wayside and ends at Prairie Forks Drive bridge access, about About 6.2 mi on the water.

Is this Prairie River route good for beginners?

This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.

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