See all 2 routes on Turtle Creek
Wisconsin | South-Central Wisconsin
Turtle CreekEast Creek Road to Highway 140
Clear southern-Wisconsin creek run from East Creek Road through the lower Turtle Creek Wildlife Area corridor to the Highway 140 access, with wild rice, gravel shallows, one easy Class I riffle, and a direct Carvers Rock Road gauge ladder.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
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.
Access map
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.
Road shuttle
Use a short rural shuttle between the East Creek Road access west of the bridge and the Highway 140 parking area north of the bridge. Wisconsin River Trips describes the bike shuttle as about 4.5 miles with modest climbing.
Additional access notes
- 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.
More route and safety guidance
- Use the direct Carvers Rock Road gauge as a planning screen. Wisconsin River Trips calls 101-250 cfs the best broad window, 351-500 cfs high and less clear, and 501+ cfs potentially too high for enjoyable paddling.
- Use the named East Creek Road and Highway 140 accesses. Wisconsin DNR warns that some parts of the wildlife area are reachable only from the creek or across adjacent private land, which requires landowner permission.
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Turtle Creek at Carvers Rock Road Near Clinton, WI. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Turtle Creek at Carvers Rock Road Near Clinton, WI |
| Discharge | Checking |
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| 24h trend | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
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| Preferred range | 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 |
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NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
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.
Other routes nearby
More on Turtle Creek
All 2Nearby routes within 75 miles
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