See all 6 routes on Upper Iowa River
Iowa | Northeast Iowa
Upper Iowa River
Cattle Creek Road to Malanaphy Springs
Check current paddling conditions for this Upper Iowa River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Cattle Creek Road / Daley Bridge and take out at Malanaphy Springs, with Chimney Rock Park and Bluffton Fir Stand as named intermediate access and bailout points. This family card replaces three overlapping short cards.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Put-in
Cattle Creek Road / Daley Bridge canoe access areaOpen mapCattle Creek access conditions have changed over time; confirm parking, bank condition, and posted signs before unloading.
Take-out
Malanaphy Springs / Bluffton Road bridge accessOpen mapChimney Rock and Bluffton Fir Stand are useful intermediate access points, but nearby private campground or livery launches are not automatically public.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Cattle Creek access conditions have changed over time; confirm parking, bank condition, and posted signs before unloading.
- Chimney Rock and Bluffton Fir Stand are useful intermediate access points, but nearby private campground or livery launches are not automatically public.
- Malanaphy Springs has limited parking and landing space. Inspect the take-out and keep a fallback shuttle plan before launch.
- Use the Bluffton corridor guidance conservatively: about 150 cfs is scrape-prone, 200 to 500 cfs is the broad target, and 700+ cfs is too pushy for a normal recreational recommendation. Pair the gauge with same-day visual checks and local guidance.
Watch for
- Scraping and dragging in riffles near or below 150 cfs at the Bluffton gauge.
- Storm wood, strainers, bridge approaches, shallow rock, and faster current on rising water.
- Cold spring inflows, private banks, long-route fatigue, and limited clean bailouts between the named access points.
Route gallery
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Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Upper Iowa River at Bluffton, IA |
| 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 | 200 cfs to 500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 700 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Upper Iowa River Bluffton 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.
- Official access sequenceCattle Creek Road to Chimney Rock Park Access
The Upper Iowa River Paddler's Guide lists Cattle Creek Road at river mile 83.2, Chimney Rock at 79.4, and Chimney Rock Park Access at 78.7.
- Published route split4.5 miles
Wisconsin River Trips lists Cattle Creek Road to Chimney Rock Access as a 4.5-mile section with several bluffs and Chimney Rock as the highlight.
- Gauge ladder150 / 200-500 / 700 cfs
Wisconsin River Trips reports 305 cfs at Bluffton as more than plenty, treats 200 cfs as low, 150 cfs as scrape-prone, and estimates 700 cfs and up as too pushy.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 05387440
USGS Water Services returned 871 cfs and 4.69 ft at 2026-07-22 14:45 CDT for Upper Iowa River at Bluffton, IA, which is above the normal recreational ceiling used here.
- Access caveatChanged Cattle Creek bridge area
Older route reports describe the Cattle Creek bridge/access area as changed, so paddlers should confirm current parking and the launch path before unloading.
- Consolidated access chainCattle Creek 0.0 / Chimney Rock 4.5 / Bluffton 9.8 / Malanaphy 18.2 mi
The three retired split cards documented a continuous public-access chain. The family card keeps those access points as intermediate bailouts and avoids overlapping route cards.
- Full-route water model150 cfs floor; 200-500 cfs target; 700+ cfs too pushy
Wisconsin River Trips ties the same Bluffton corridor to 150 cfs as scrape-prone, 200 to 500 cfs as the broad recreational target, and 700+ cfs as too pushy for a normal recreational recommendation. Apply the upper cutoff conservatively and confirm wood/current conditions on the full route.
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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Upper Iowa River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Upper Iowa River?
Paddle Today watches Upper Iowa River at Bluffton, IA and treats 200 cfs to 500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Upper Iowa River route start and end?
This route starts at Cattle Creek Road / Daley Bridge canoe access area and ends at Malanaphy Springs / Bluffton Road bridge access, about About 18.2 mi on the water.
Is this Upper Iowa River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.