Wisconsin | Southern Wisconsin
West Branch Sugar River
Fritz Road to County Road PB
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 Fritz Road and paddle the quiet West Branch Sugar wet-grass corridor to County Road PB. The route is low-gradient and scenic, but it is not a groomed water trail and requires attention to fresh wood, blind bends, and bridge exits.
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
Fritz Road bridge accessFritz Road is a bridge launch with grass/ditch footing rather than a formal ramp; inspect footing at both sides of the bridge before unloading.
Take-out
County Road PB bridge accessCounty Road PB is a so-so bridge take-out with a steep bank/shoulder and nearby farm access. Do not block the field entrance noted by WRT.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Fritz Road is a bridge launch with grass/ditch footing rather than a formal ramp; inspect footing at both sides of the bridge before unloading.
- County Road PB is a so-so bridge take-out with a steep bank/shoulder and nearby farm access. Do not block the field entrance noted by WRT.
- The Sugar River near Verona gauge is a basin proxy, not a direct West Branch gauge, so visual depth and wood checks at both bridges control the final go/no-go.
Watch for
- Downed trees, tight blind corners, and pushy current around deadfall after rain.
- Open wet-grass wind, private banks, cattle/farm runoff context, and poor water quality after storms.
- Bankfull or spreading water near and above the WRT 300 cfs caution band.
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 | Sugar River near Verona, 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 | 41 cfs to 70 cfs |
| Low threshold | 0 cfs |
| High threshold | 300 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips West Branch Sugar River Verona proxy ladder |
| 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 mileageFritz Road to County Road PB, about 5.2 mi
Wisconsin River Trips calls Fritz Road to County Road PB probably the best West Branch leg and documents the current access and hazard notes.
- Endpoint GPSFritz 42.90312,-89.59752; PB 42.87922,-89.55877
Miles Paddled documents the same Fritz Road-to-County Road PB route and publishes put-in and take-out GPS coordinates.
- Threshold ladder41-70 cfs average/fine; 300+ cfs bankfull caution
WRT ties the route to the Sugar River near Verona gauge and describes low, average, high, very high, and 300+ cfs bankfull bands.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05435950 38.0 cfs / 2.88 ft at 2026-07-23 15:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current Sugar River near Verona data during this run, just below the WRT average band but within the low/fine band.
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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Quick answers
West Branch Sugar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling West Branch Sugar River?
Paddle Today watches Sugar River near Verona, WI and treats 41 cfs to 70 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this West Branch Sugar River route start and end?
This route starts at Fritz Road bridge access and ends at County Road PB bridge access, about About 5.2 mi on the water.
Is this West Branch Sugar 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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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.