Ohio | North Central Ohio
Vermilion River
Mill Hollow to South Street Boat Ramp
Check current paddling conditions for this Vermilion River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
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
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
Launch from Mill Hollow in Vermilion River Reservation and take out at the South Street Municipal Public Boat Ramp. This follows the AW lower Vermilion reach and keeps the run inside the official public river-access pair.
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
Mill Hollow / Vermilion River Reservation accessMill Hollow is an official metro-park river access, but river-edge conditions can change after floods.
Take-out
South Street Municipal Public Boat RampThe South Street ramp is a formal city facility with kayak/canoe launching and parking; check current local fees or event restrictions before staging.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Mill Hollow is an official metro-park river access, but river-edge conditions can change after floods.
- The South Street ramp is a formal city facility with kayak/canoe launching and parking; check current local fees or event restrictions before staging.
- Do not drift past the planned take-out into the Lake Erie mouth unless open-water conditions and your shuttle plan both support it.
Watch for
- Low water and scrapier current near the upstream half if the gauge is only barely above the AW floor.
- Log jams, bridge abutments, and faster current after rain or at high water.
- Flatwater wind, marina traffic, and motorboat wakes near the final miles into Vermilion.
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 | Vermilion River near Vermilion, OH |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 3.00 ft to 4.25 ft |
| Low threshold | 2.60 ft |
| High threshold | 6.00 ft |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater Vermilion lower reach 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 and difficulty5.3 miles, Class I
American Whitewater lists Mill Hollow Park to Vermilion Boat Ramp as a 5.3-mile lower Vermilion reach with Class I difficulty.
- Published AW range2.6 to 6.0 ft
American Whitewater ties the reach to USGS 04199500 and labels 2.6 to 6.0 ft as barely runnable through high runnable.
- Guarded app target3.0 to 4.25 ft
The app keeps the preferred window above the bare AW floor because low-end conditions can get scrapier upstream and the flatter lower miles are more worthwhile once the river has some depth.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 04199500
USGS operates the Vermilion River near Vermilion, OH monitoring location used by American Whitewater for this reach.
- Official put-in supportMill Hollow / Vermilion River Reservation access
Lorain County Metro Parks lists Vermilion River Reservation at Mill Hollow and names a kayak and canoe river access point there.
- Official take-out supportSouth Street Municipal Public Boat Ramp: 41.42019, -82.35665
The City of Vermilion says the South Street Municipal Public Boat Ramp is on the west side of the Vermilion River and includes an ADA kayak and canoe roller launch facility.
- HazardsLog jams, bridge abutments, motorboat traffic near town
ODNR water-trail materials warn about a log jam and Route 2 bridge abutments during high water, while the lower city stretch adds marinas, docks, and active boat traffic near the mouth.
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.
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.
Quick answers
Vermilion River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Vermilion River?
Paddle Today watches Vermilion River near Vermilion, OH and treats 3.00 ft to 4.25 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Vermilion River route start and end?
This route starts at Mill Hollow / Vermilion River Reservation access and ends at South Street Municipal Public Boat Ramp, about 5.3 mi on the water.
Is this Vermilion 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.