See all 3 routes on Turtle Creek
Wisconsin | South-Central Wisconsin
Turtle Creek
East Creek Road to Highway 140
Check current paddling conditions for this Turtle Creek 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
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
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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
Launch from the East Creek Road public pull-off and paddle Turtle Creek past wild rice beds, O Riley Landing, Little Turtle Creek, South Carvers Rock Road, Spring Brook, and a short Class I riffle before taking out at Highway 140.
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
East Creek Road public pull-offEast Creek Road is a bridge-area public pull-off with a roughly 280-foot carry to the creek and no restroom.
Take-out
Highway 140 Turtle Creek accessHighway 140 has a parking area north of the bridge and a short path to the water, but it can be busy on good paddling days.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- East Creek Road is a bridge-area public pull-off with a roughly 280-foot carry to the creek and no restroom.
- Highway 140 has a parking area north of the bridge and a short path to the water, but it can be busy on good paddling days.
- The route begins in the lower Turtle Creek Wildlife Area corridor and continues beyond the wildlife-area segments; stay with established bridge and landing access points.
Watch for
- Aquatic weeds and possible shallow congestion in the low band below about 100 cfs.
- One manageable Class I riffle just downstream from South Carvers Rock Road; Wisconsin River Trips calls it the only rapid on the exact route.
- Wisconsin River Trips reported no logjams or fences on its 2020 trip, so verify that the channel remains clear before launching.
- High water above about 350 cfs reducing clarity; Wisconsin River Trips says 501+ cfs may be too high for enjoyable paddling.
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 | Turtle Creek at Carvers Rock Road Near Clinton, 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 | 101 cfs to 250 cfs |
| Low threshold | 0 cfs |
| High threshold | 501 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Turtle Creek - East Creek Road gauge 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.
- Route-specific guide6.8 miles; about 3 hours
Wisconsin River Trips publishes the East Creek Road to Highway 140 trip with distance, travel time, route character, and the East Creek/O Riley/Carvers Rock/Hwy 140 subreaches.
- Direct gaugeUSGS 05431486
USGS operates Turtle Creek at Carvers Rock Road Near Clinton, WI, and Wisconsin River Trips uses this gauge for the exact East Creek Road route ladder.
- Gauge ladder101-250 cfs best broad window
Wisconsin River Trips says 101-150 cfs is a good clear-water depth, 151-250 cfs is decent, 251-350 cfs is still navigable but with submerged character, 351-500 cfs is high and less scenic, and 501+ cfs may be too high for enjoyable paddling.
- Public access contextTurtle Creek Wildlife Area
Wisconsin DNR says Turtle Creek Wildlife Area follows about 10 miles of Turtle Creek, has road crossings and parking lots, and offers primitive kayak and canoe launches.
- Endpoint coordinatesEast Creek 42.6113321, -88.7804249; Hwy 140 42.5965016, -88.8637665
Wisconsin River Trips route and shuttle map context resolves the named East Creek Road put-in and Highway 140 take-out coordinates; DNR and WRT corroborate the public paddling/access corridor.
- HazardsClass I riffle, weeds, private-land boundaries
Wisconsin River Trips reports one manageable Class I riffle below South Carvers Rock Road, no logjams or fences during its 2020 trip, and possible weed congestion at low water. Wisconsin DNR says some wildlife-area portions are accessible only from the creek or across adjacent private land.
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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Turtle Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Turtle Creek?
Paddle Today watches Turtle Creek at Carvers Rock Road Near Clinton, WI and treats 101 cfs to 250 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Turtle Creek route start and end?
This route starts at East Creek Road public pull-off and ends at Highway 140 Turtle Creek access, about 6.8 mi on the water.
Is this Turtle Creek 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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