See all 12 routes on St. Croix River
Wisconsin | Northwest Wisconsin
St. Croix River
Norway Point Landing to Fox Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this St. Croix River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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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 Norway Point and take out at Fox Landing for the upper SC5 rapid split. The route exists to expose the Head of the Rapids decision without forcing the full Fox-to-Highway-70 continuation.
Put-in
Norway Point LandingOpen mapDanbury is the product gauge, but WTG says the Norway Point local gauge controls the Kettle River Slough decision. Check both when possible.
Take-out
Fox LandingOpen mapIf Fox is your take-out, stay with the left main channel. NPS Map 6 explicitly warns that the Kettle River Slough route misses Fox Landing.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Danbury is the product gauge, but WTG says the Norway Point local gauge controls the Kettle River Slough decision. Check both when possible.
- If Fox is your take-out, stay with the left main channel. NPS Map 6 explicitly warns that the Kettle River Slough route misses Fox Landing.
- Fox Landing has a rougher approach road and should be inspected before launching, especially with low-clearance vehicles or wet conditions.
Watch for
- Head of the Rapids channel decision, Big Beef Rapids, August Olsen Rapids downstream of the confluence, and ledges around the Slough return.
- Low water below the official DNR scrapable band, when rocky rapids and the Slough can become too shallow.
- High local Norway readings above 8 ft, when WTG says the Slough becomes pushy; above 10 ft is flood-stage with harder conditions.
Route gallery
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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 | St. Croix River nr Danbury, 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 | 1,500 cfs to 2,200 cfs |
| Low threshold | 1,250 cfs |
| High threshold | 6,000 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MN DNR Danbury interpreted river-level bands with WTG Norway Point local-gauge caveat |
| 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.
- Route splitNorway Point to Fox inside 14.3-mile SC5
WTG documents Norway Point-to-Highway-70 as 14.3 miles and names Fox Landing on the left main channel before the lower continuation. This card uses the upper split to the existing Fox-to-Highway-70 card.
- Local-gauge and channel decision5-10 ft Norway Point Slough guidance
WTG says Kettle River Slough is usually too shallow below 5 ft on the Norway Point gauge, 5-8 ft is medium, above 8 ft can be pushy, and above 10 ft is flood-stage with some rapids approaching Class III.
- Official Map 6 hazardRight-channel Slough misses Fox Landing
NPS Map 6 warns that taking Kettle River Slough means missing Fox Landing and that the Kettle confluence has a ledge plus regularly Class II fast, steep rapids.
- Official DNR bands1,250 / 1,500-2,200 / 6,000 cfs
MN DNR site 212 at Danbury is the official interpreted St. Croix gauge used for product scoring, with the WTG Norway Point local-gauge caveat added for the Slough decision.
- Current gauge check727 cfs at 2026-07-22 20:00 CDT
The MN DNR feed returned Danbury below the scrapable floor during this run; USGS 05333500 corroborated 723 cfs / 0.68 ft at 21:00 CDT.
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
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Quick answers
St. Croix River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling St. Croix River?
Paddle Today watches St. Croix River nr Danbury, WI and treats 1,500 cfs to 2,200 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this St. Croix River route start and end?
This route starts at Norway Point Landing and ends at Fox Landing, about About 4.6 mi on the water.
Is this St. Croix 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.
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