See all 36 routes on Susquehanna River
New York | Otsego County / Milford and Oneonta area
Susquehanna River
Colliersville to Emmons
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
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 planning-only approximately 3-mile Susquehanna River moving-flatwater section between the current NYSDEC Colliersville and Emmons hand launches. NYSDEC lists both sites as public hand launches with parking, and current state guidance warns that moderate to heavy rain can make navigation difficult or impossible. The live USGS Unadilla station is a clearly labeled downstream proxy rather than a local cutoff; the route is bounded before the separate downstream Oneonta-to-Otego card and after the upstream Goodyear/Colliersville access boundary.
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
NYSDEC Colliersville Susquehanna River hand launchThe current NYSDEC directory identifies Colliersville and Emmons as public hand launches with parking, but directory coordinates are access-area anchors rather than surveyed dock pixels. Confirm the actual carry, waterline, bank footing, parking, and signs before committing.
Take-out
NYSDEC Emmons Susquehanna River hand launchThe approximately three-mile distance is a planning estimate based on the current public access pair and state source descriptions; it is not presented as a separately surveyed wetted trace.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The current NYSDEC directory identifies Colliersville and Emmons as public hand launches with parking, but directory coordinates are access-area anchors rather than surveyed dock pixels. Confirm the actual carry, waterline, bank footing, parking, and signs before committing.
- The approximately three-mile distance is a planning estimate based on the current public access pair and state source descriptions; it is not presented as a separately surveyed wetted trace.
- Emmons is a hard boundary before the separate downstream Oneonta-to-Otego and lower Susquehanna route sequence. Do not merge route records or substitute a bridge shoulder, fishing pull-off, or private bank as a take-out.
- The Unadilla station is downstream and cannot certify local depth, debris, tributary timing, or water temperature. Pair broad trend with same-day local inspection and a conservative turn-back plan.
Watch for
- USGS 01500500 unavailable, rapidly rising, or inconsistent with local depth and current; no numeric route-specific threshold is published
- shallow gravel, scraping or walking, strainers, floating wood, bridge approaches, cold-water immersion, thunderstorms, and limited legal exits
- Colliersville and Emmons parking/carry, muddy footing, private-bank boundaries, traffic, daylight, shuttle vehicle, and the mandatory Emmons take-out
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
Data and sources
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 | Susquehanna River at Unadilla, NY |
| 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| 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 | No numeric local cutoff published; use the downstream Unadilla gauge only as broad basin trend context with local depth, recent rain, debris, and launch inspection |
| 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.
- Authoritative public water accessNYSDEC Colliersville and Emmons Susquehanna River hand launches
The current Otsego County launch directory lists both public hand launches, coordinates, and parking capacities.
- Distinct short moving-water sectionColliersville to Emmons; approximately 3 planning river miles
The current public endpoint pair and state Susquehanna guidance support a bounded short section; the distance remains a planning estimate rather than a surveyed route length.
- River-condition guidanceModerate to heavy rain can make Susquehanna navigation difficult or impossible
NYSDEC’s current river guidance supplies the route-specific rain/flood screen; local depth, debris, and current still control the launch decision.
- Downstream proxy gaugeUSGS 01500500, Susquehanna River at Unadilla, NY
USGS provides live stage/discharge telemetry downstream of the route. Use it only for broad basin trend context and do not infer a local cutoff.
- Paddling endpoint corroborationColliersville and Emmons listed as Susquehanna put-ins
A current paddling access index independently lists both named upper Susquehanna endpoints; NYSDEC remains the authoritative access source for this route.
- Camping postureNearby campground/lodging basecamp only
No legal on-route camping is documented by the endpoint and river sources; use separately permitted lodging or a managed campground.
- Approved same-river context imageUSGS Susquehanna River at Unadilla station photograph
The public-domain image is labeled downstream same-river context and does not depict either launch, local depth, debris, or current conditions.
- Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 01500500, Susquehanna River at Unadilla, NY
USGS 01500500 at Unadilla is a live Susquehanna station downstream of Colliersville and Emmons. It provides broad same-river trend context, but tributary timing, local shallows, debris, water temperature, and launch conditions can differ materially; no numeric route cutoff is asserted.
- Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch
NYSDEC Otsego County launch directory / NYSDEC Susquehanna River guidance / USGS and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.
- Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation
The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict 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.
- NYSDEC Otsego County launch directory / NYSDEC Susquehanna River guidance / USGS route record
- NYSDEC Colliersville and Emmons public Susquehanna hand-launch listings
- USGS 01500500 Susquehanna River at Unadilla downstream proxy conditions
- NYSDEC Susquehanna River flood, shallow-water, and access guidance
- USGS 01500500 monitoring location
- USGS 01500500 current conditions
- Susquehanna River context image
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.
Share your trip
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
All 296 routesMore on Susquehanna River
All 36Nearby routes by distance
Quick answers
Susquehanna River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Susquehanna River?
Paddle Today watches Susquehanna River at Unadilla, NY and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Susquehanna River route start and end?
This route starts at NYSDEC Colliersville Susquehanna River hand launch and ends at NYSDEC Emmons Susquehanna River hand launch, about Approximately 3 river miles from the Colliersville hand launch to the Emmons hand launch 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.