See all 5 routes on Sugar River
Wisconsin | South-Central Wisconsin
Sugar River
Belleville Community Park to County Road X
Check current paddling conditions for this Sugar 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
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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
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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
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
Put in at Belleville Community Park and take out at County Road X. This is a mellow but full-feeling day with several riffles and wooded bends; use the Verona gauge because both low-water scraping and pushier high water change the character quickly.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Belleville Community Park (Sugar River)Belleville Community Park is subject to official village park hours and vehicle rules, but the exact river-launch pattern and County Road X parking setup are still best confirmed on the ground.
Take-out
County Road X bridge access (Sugar River)The low-water floor matters more than a precise sweet spot on this reach.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Belleville Community Park is subject to official village park hours and vehicle rules, but the exact river-launch pattern and County Road X parking setup are still best confirmed on the ground.
- The low-water floor matters more than a precise sweet spot on this reach.
Watch for
- Shallows and grounding below the normal Verona-gauge window.
- Pushier current, poorer clarity, and harder strainer avoidance above the high-water caution band.
- Muddy bottom, tight bends, and occasional strainers after storms.
- Stay clear of the Belleville dam or spillway upstream of the put-in.
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.
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 | Sugar River near Verona, 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 | 21 cfs to 130 cfs |
| Low threshold | 0 cfs |
| High threshold | 201 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Sugar River - Belleville gauge guide |
| 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.
- Published corridor ladder21 to 130 cfs normal window
Wisconsin River Trips publishes a Belleville-corridor Verona-gauge ladder: 0-20 cfs is a shallow but navigable fall average, 21-50 cfs is a good summer average, 51-90 and 91-130 cfs are above normal but fine, 131-200 cfs is high and pushier, and 201+ cfs is very high/adventurous.
- Exact route supportBelleville to County Road X
Miles Paddled documents Belleville Community Park to County Road X as Sugar River IV and recommends about 60 cfs minimum on the Verona gauge to avoid a shallow, frustrating day.
- Gauge contextVerona gauge only
The Verona gauge gives a useful low-water reference, but there is still not enough high-water guidance for this exact reach.
- Public put-inBelleville Community Park
Wisconsin River Trips describes Belleville Community Park as a terrific put-in just below the dam, and Village of Belleville park rules provide public-park operating context.
- Official park operationsBelleville parks open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Village of Belleville park rules say parks are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and restrict motor vehicles to roads, drives, and parking areas, which is useful operational context for the put-in even though it is not a dedicated launch page.
- DifficultyEasy
A good easy-day candidate when the Verona gauge is in the normal band and the County X bridge landing checks out on arrival.
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
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Sugar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Sugar River?
Paddle Today watches Sugar River near Verona, WI and treats 21 cfs to 130 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Sugar River route start and end?
This route starts at Belleville Community Park (Sugar River) and ends at County Road X bridge access (Sugar River), about 10.25 mi on the water.
Is this Sugar River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
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