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See all 36 routes on Susquehanna River

Pennsylvania | North Branch Susquehanna

Susquehanna River

North Branch: Laceyville to West Falls

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

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DistanceAbout 33 mi for the full corridor; choose a shorter segment in the access planner
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeFull corridor is a multi-day or staged-series route. Common day choices include Laceyville to Meshoppen
ShuttleCar shuttle
An aerial view shows the Susquehanna River bending through the Laceyville corridor with wooded banks and open Pennsylvania valley farmland.
Route photoSusquehanna River near LaceyvillePhoto by Bjoertvedt via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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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

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Checking trend.

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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

On-water distanceAbout 33 mi for the full corridor; choose a shorter segment in the access plannerNorth Branch: Laceyville to West Falls
DifficultyeasyShort planner-selected sections are approachable in the conservative band, while the full corridor can become a long exposed big-river day.
ShuttleCar shuttlePick a put-in and take-out from the access planner, stage the downstream vehicle first, then inspect both landings before launching. Do not assume private banks, islands, or bars are legal backup exits.
PermitsCheck posted rulesPFBC says unpowered boats using PFBC or Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests access areas need boat registration, a PFBC launch permit, or a DCNR State Parks launch permit. Follow current PFBC, municipal, campground, boating, and PFD rules.
CampingOptions nearbyTreat this as a staged day-trip corridor unless you have current legal campground or overnight arrangements. Do not treat islands or private banks as open camping.
SeasonApr-OctThe North Branch usually has runnable windows from spring through fall, but thunderstorms, headwind, cold water, and floating wood can change a broad-river day quickly.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Use this as the Wyoming County North Branch access-planner corridor. The default full corridor runs from Laceyville to West Falls, but most users should choose a shorter access pair around Meshoppen or Tunkhannock.

DirectionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap
Plan a shorter segmentOptional

Access planner

Pick a shorter segment

This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distanceAbout 33 mi for the full corridor; choose a shorter segment in the access plannerLake to creek
On-water timeAbout 5 to 7 hrFull route option
ShuttleSelf-shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

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.

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Start

Put-in

Laceyville Borough access
Open map

Use the access planner to choose a legal public or managed access pair before driving.

Finish

Take-out

PFBC West Falls access
Open map

The full corridor is a planning envelope, not necessarily the recommended one-day trip.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Use the access planner to choose a legal public or managed access pair before driving.
  • The full corridor is a planning envelope, not necessarily the recommended one-day trip.
  • Confirm same-day parking, launch, landing, and permit rules at the selected endpoints.
  • Stay with named accesses and do not improvise on private banks or islands.

Watch for

  • Boulder fields and fast riffles around the Tunkhannock-to-West-Falls section.
  • Meshoppen readings near the low edge, when shallow lines and exposed rocks become more consequential.
  • Meshoppen readings around 12 ft and up, when this model turns conservative for novice paddlers.
  • Broad-river wind, thunderstorms, floating wood, muddy landings, and overlong segment choices.

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.

An aerial view shows the Susquehanna River bending through the Laceyville corridor with wooded banks and open Pennsylvania valley farmland.
Susquehanna River near LaceyvillePhoto by Bjoertvedt via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 3.0

Score & sources

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

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.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteSusquehanna River at Meshoppen, PA
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band6.50 ft to 9.00 ft
Low threshold6.50 ft
High threshold12.00 ft
Evidence strength behind the rangePartial source data
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scorePFBC North Branch Susquehanna Section 2 stage relationship
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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 corridorLaceyville to West Falls, with intermediate public access choices

    PFBC Section 2 publishes the Laceyville, Meshoppen, Tunkhannock, White's Ferry, and West Falls access sequence.

    Source

  • Same-section gauge proxyUSGS 01533400 at Meshoppen

    PFBC publishes the Meshoppen stage relationship that V2 uses for Section 2 route planning.

    Source

  • Planner modelMultiple access points on one corridor page

    This route replaces overlapping Section 2 route cards with one Rice Creek-style access planner corridor.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

Paddler reports

See recent photos and notes from people on the route.

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Photos

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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.

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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 Meshoppen, PA and treats 6.50 ft to 9.00 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 Laceyville Borough access and ends at PFBC West Falls access, about About 33 mi for the full corridor; choose a shorter segment in the access planner 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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