See all 8 routes on Wapsipinicon River
Iowa | Eastern Iowa
Wapsipinicon River
Allen's Grove Access to Gambril Access
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
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
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
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 at Allen's Grove and paddle the lower half of the DNR Sherman-to-Gambril family, stopping before the separate Gambril-to-McCausland reach.
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
Allen's Grove AccessAllen's Grove is a public boat-ramp access with no camping. Keep staging compact and use posted public areas only.
Take-out
Gambril AccessGambril is DNR-documented with a cement ramp and eddy but no bathrooms; the coordinate is a practical ramp anchor from mapped route references and must be confirmed from land.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Allen's Grove is a public boat-ramp access with no camping. Keep staging compact and use posted public areas only.
- Gambril is DNR-documented with a cement ramp and eddy but no bathrooms; the coordinate is a practical ramp anchor from mapped route references and must be confirmed from land.
- The lower route carries more water on the south fork than the north fork, so use the De Witt reading and an on-site check before relying on upstream Anamosa thresholds.
Watch for
- Dead-log tangles on outside bends and side-channel route-finding mistakes.
- Private cabin banks, broad sandbars, and low-water dragging away from the main current.
- High/rising water that increases current, hides logs, and reduces usable eddies at Gambril.
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
Data and sources
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 | Wapsipinicon River near Anamosa, 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 2,800 cfs |
| Low threshold | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,800 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle lower Wapsipinicon Anamosa-to-Oxford range |
| 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 route familySherman Park to Allen's Grove to Gambril, 21 mi
Iowa DNR lists Sherman Park to Allen's Grove Accesses to Gambril Access as a 21-mile lower-Wapsipinicon section.
- Access qualityAllen's Grove and Gambril ramps
Iowa DNR says Allen's Grove has a cement ramp and eddy, and Gambril Access has a cement ramp pointed downriver with a nice eddy.
- Lower-river gauge contextScott County links Wapsipinicon water levels to USGS 05422000
Scott County's Wapsi recreation page links Wapsipinicon River water levels to the De Witt USGS gauge for this lower Bends-to-Beaches corridor.
- Current gauge checkAnamosa 1,920 cfs / 7.13 ft; De Witt 2,270 cfs / 8.02 ft
USGS Water Services returned current Wapsipinicon values at 2026-07-24 07:15 CDT for Anamosa and 07:30 CDT for De Witt during this run.
- Threshold model200 to 2,800 cfs
CanWePaddle supplies the accepted lower-Wapsi Anamosa-to-Oxford model; this downstream split uses it conservatively with mandatory local checks and De Witt corroboration rather than a new invented range.
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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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Wapsipinicon River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Wapsipinicon River?
Paddle Today watches Wapsipinicon River near Anamosa, IA and treats 200 cfs to 2,800 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Wapsipinicon River route start and end?
This route starts at Allen's Grove Access and ends at Gambril Access, about About 10 mi on the water.
Is this Wapsipinicon 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.
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