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Pennsylvania | North Branch Susquehanna
Susquehanna River
North Branch: Canal Park to Wetlands Nature Area
Check current paddling conditions for this Susquehanna 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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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
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Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Canal Park and take out at Wetlands Nature Area for a full upper Section 3 Susquehanna day. Use the Wilkes-Barre stage gauge, keep the easiest planning days around 2 to 4 feet there, and make the mile-180 rapid your first same-day hazard check.
Prepare this trip
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Put-in
Canal Park accessPFBC Section 3 publishes both Canal Park and Wetlands Nature Area coordinates directly in the official access table.
Take-out
Wetlands Nature Area accessCanal Park is a primitive access on a gravel path and Wetlands is a primitive river-right finish. Confirm same-day footing, parking, and bank angle at both ends before leaving vehicles.
Plan this segment
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Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- PFBC Section 3 publishes both Canal Park and Wetlands Nature Area coordinates directly in the official access table.
- Canal Park is a primitive access on a gravel path and Wetlands is a primitive river-right finish. Confirm same-day footing, parking, and bank angle at both ends before leaving vehicles.
- This route has more committed mileage than the shorter Section 3 slugs. Once you leave the Nanticoke corridor, broad-river wind and a thin exit network can matter more than the flat profile suggests.
- Stay with the named public accesses rather than using islands or private banks as casual substitutes.
Watch for
- A long class I-II rapid on river right about one-half mile downstream from the Nanticoke bridge, flagged by PFBC at mile 180.
- Wilkes-Barre stages below about -0.5 ft, when the broad channel gets scratchier and more technical around shallow bars and inside lines.
- Wilkes-Barre stages above about 4 feet, when current speeds up noticeably; PFBC says novice paddlers should stay off above about 5 feet.
- Headwind, thunderstorms, floating wood, private shorelines, and muddy footing at the primitive Wetlands finish after a long exposed day.
Route gallery
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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.
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- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre, PA |
| 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 |
| Target band | 2.00 ft to 4.00 ft |
| Low threshold | -0.50 ft |
| High threshold | 5.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | PFBC North Branch Susquehanna Section 3 Wilkes-Barre stage guidance |
| 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.
- Official route segmentCanal Park to Wetlands Nature Area, about 14 mi
The PFBC North Branch Section 3 guide places Canal Park at river mile 180 and Wetlands Nature Area at river mile 166.
- Endpoint coordinatesPFBC access-site coordinates
The PFBC Section 3 access table publishes Canal Park at 41 13 12 / -76 01 07 and Wetlands Nature Area at 41 05 22 / -76 07 21.
- Direct gaugeUSGS 01536500 at Wilkes-Barre
USGS Water Services returned same-day July 16, 2026 values of 2,990 cfs and 0.74 ft at 2026-07-16 05:45 EDT for Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre, PA.
- Official stage guidanceWilkes-Barre about 2 ft safe base, 5 ft novice ceiling
PFBC says the river can still be paddled as low as about -0.5 ft at Wilkes-Barre, uses about 2 ft as the safe paddle base level, and says novice paddlers should stay off above about 5 ft.
- Primary cautionMile-180 rapid below the Nanticoke bridge
The PFBC Section 3 caution list flags a long class I-II rapid on river right about one-half mile downstream from the Nanticoke bridge.
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
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Reports
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Susquehanna River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Susquehanna River?
Paddle Today watches Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre, PA and treats 2.00 ft to 4.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Susquehanna River route start and end?
This route starts at Canal Park access and ends at Wetlands Nature Area access, about About 14 mi on the water.
Is this Susquehanna 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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