See all 4 routes on Schroon River
New York | Warren County / Southern Adirondacks
Schroon River
Starbuckville Dam to Riverbank / Warren County Canoe and Kayak Access
Check current paddling conditions for this Schroon River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
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
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A distinct 6.7-mile Schroon River whitewater route from the public Starbuckville Dam access to the Riverbank take-out. American Whitewater documents the Class II–III reach, direct Riverbank gauge, alternate put-in, private-bank constraints, and major drop; NYSDEC and local public-access listings supply the launch and take-out context.
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.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Starbuckville Dam public hand launchStarbuckville is a public hand launch near a dam, not a runnable dam feature. Confirm the landing, parking capacity, downstream boundary, and any current municipal or DEC signage.
Take-out
Riverbank Warren County Canoe and Kayak AccessRiverbank is described as a public Warren County canoe access, but the stored coordinate is an access-area anchor derived from map material. Confirm the marked landing and parking on site before committing vehicles or boats.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Starbuckville is a public hand launch near a dam, not a runnable dam feature. Confirm the landing, parking capacity, downstream boundary, and any current municipal or DEC signage.
- Riverbank is described as a public Warren County canoe access, but the stored coordinate is an access-area anchor derived from map material. Confirm the marked landing and parking on site before committing vehicles or boats.
- The alternate Route 8 access shortens the trip but carries a specific private-bank and parking warning. Use it only if the public entry and vehicle staging are clear.
- The route crosses a mix of public and private shoreline. Do not scout, land, portage, or camp on a private bank merely because it is adjacent to the river.
Watch for
- USGS 01317000 unavailable, rapidly rising, or inconsistent with the local visual level; the 3.9 ft minimum is planning guidance only
- Starbuckville Dam, Big Drop, bony shallow sections, pourovers, holes, trees in current, strainers, cold water, and bridge hazards
- Riverbank road and landing condition, private-bank boundaries, alternate-put-in parking, daylight, recent rain, and shuttle failure
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.
No approved route photos yet
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Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
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.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Schroon River at Riverbank, NY |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 3.90 ft |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater and local paddling guidance: about 3.9 ft or higher is the practical minimum for the lively section; higher stages change feature character and require stronger skills and scouting |
| 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.
- Named New York corridorStarbuckville Dam to Riverbank; 6.7 miles; Class II–III
American Whitewater publishes the reach boundary, distance, difficulty, direct Riverbank gauge, and route-specific feature notes.
- Public water accessStarbuckville Dam hand launch and Riverbank Warren County Canoe and Kayak Access
NYSDEC lists the Starbuckville public hand launch; regional paddling guidance identifies the Riverbank public access and take-out road. The Riverbank coordinate is retained as an access-area anchor pending field verification.
- Route-specific flow guidanceAbout 3.9 ft or higher as a practical minimum; higher water changes the feature hazards
American Whitewater and local paddling guidance describe the level-sensitive Class II–III character. Preserve the minimum-only posture rather than fabricating a hard upper cutoff.
- Direct gaugeUSGS 01317000, Schroon River at Riverbank, NY
USGS provides current gage height at Riverbank, downstream of Starbuckville Dam; current stage is the best available direct telemetry but still requires local scouting.
- Camping and basecamp contextNearby DEC campgrounds; no route water-access camping claimed
DEC campground pages provide nearby road-access camping and shoreline recreation; they do not authorize camping on the whitewater reach.
- Image decisionApproved same-river Riverbank USGS station context image
The image is labeled as Schroon River context rather than an exact Starbuckville rapid photograph.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 01317000, Schroon River at Riverbank, NY
USGS 01317000 is a direct stage station on the Schroon River at Riverbank, approximately 6.4 miles downstream from Starbuckville Dam. Current telemetry is gage height, while historical discharge records and regulation effects limit any direct translation to a universal runnable rule; use the route-specific minimum as planning guidance and scout the actual reach.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
American Whitewater Schroon Starbuckville to Riverbank / NYSDEC Warren County launches and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.
- Image decisionApproved same-river context image used for route presentation
The image is labeled as river-level context when it depicts the named river elsewhere, not this exact reach.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- American Whitewater Schroon Starbuckville to Riverbank / NYSDEC Warren County launches route record
- American Whitewater Schroon reach map and NYSDEC access listing
- USGS 01317000 Schroon River at Riverbank current stage
- American Whitewater Class II–III reach, flow, access, and hazard guidance
- USGS 01317000 monitoring location
- USGS 01317000 current conditions
- Schroon River context image
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler 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 New York
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All 4Nearby routes by distance
Quick answers
Schroon River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Schroon River?
Paddle Today watches Schroon River at Riverbank, NY and uses 3.90 ft as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Schroon River route start and end?
This route starts at Starbuckville Dam public hand launch and ends at Riverbank Warren County Canoe and Kayak Access, about 6.7 river miles from Starbuckville Dam to Riverbank on the water.
Is this Schroon 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.