See all 3 routes on Prairie River
Wisconsin | Northwoods Wisconsin
Prairie RiverCounty Road CCC to Prairie Forks Drive
Upper Prairie River day route near Dudley, starting at the public fishing wayside by County Road CCC and finishing at the Prairie Forks Drive bridge parking area. The first half has clear water, pine banks, small boulder gardens, and brisk riffles; the lower middle includes enough logjams that Bachelors Lane is a prudent shorter take-out when wood has not been checked.
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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 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.
Access map
Put-in
County Road CCC public fishing waysideCounty Road CCC is a public fishing wayside rather than a full-service launch. Confirm parking, footing, and any fishing-season crowding before unloading.
Take-out
Prairie Forks Drive bridge accessPrairie 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.
Road shuttle
Run 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.
Additional access notes
- 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.
More route and safety guidance
- Expect brisk Class I riffles, shallow rocky spots, and cold trout-stream water; higher flows push into strainers and reduce time to react.
- County Road CCC and Prairie Forks are public-style bridge/fishing accesses, not full-service launches. Confirm parking, posting, and bank condition before unloading.
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Conditions
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Station details and river cameras
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Measurement notes and coverage
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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
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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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 | 61 cfs to 100 cfs |
| Low threshold | 60 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 | Wisconsin River Trips Prairie River Dudley gauge guide |
| 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-16116 cfs / 2.06 ft at 2026-07-16 22:00 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.
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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