Iowa | North Iowa
Winnebago River
Fertile to Mason City
Check current paddling conditions for this Winnebago 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
Paddle the Winnebago River from Fertile toward Mason City using the direct Mason City gauge. Dam proximity at Fertile and take-out verification at Mason City are the key planning controls.
Put-in
William Rhodes Island Park below-dam accessOpen mapWilliam Rhodes Island Park is at the Fertile Dam. Launch only from a confirmed safe below-dam location and avoid dam hydraulics.
Take-out
Mason City East Park / Winnebago River corridorOpen mapMason City endpoint access should be verified locally on the day of the trip; East Park is used as the practical endpoint anchor from available public mapping.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- William Rhodes Island Park is at the Fertile Dam. Launch only from a confirmed safe below-dam location and avoid dam hydraulics.
- Mason City endpoint access should be verified locally on the day of the trip; East Park is used as the practical endpoint anchor from available public mapping.
- Private banks, wood, and shallow riffles can limit emergency exits.
Watch for
- Fast water or dam turbulence around Fertile after rain.
- Strainers, cutbanks, shallow gravel below the 100 cfs floor, and cold spring flows.
- Urban debris, bridges, and take-out uncertainty near Mason City.
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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Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 | Winnebago River at Mason City, 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 | 100 cfs to 1,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,500 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | CanWePaddle Fertile to Mason City estimated 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.
- Current gauge check168 cfs / 5.12 ft at 2026-07-22 21:15 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current Mason City discharge and stage during this run.
- Threshold range100-1,500 cfs
CanWePaddle ties the Fertile-to-Mason-City section to USGS 05459500 and estimates a 100 to 1,500 cfs runnable window.
- Access supportWilliam Rhodes Island Park / Fertile Dam and Mason City endpoint
The City of Fertile documents William Rhodes Island Park along the Winnebago River at the Fertile Dam. Mason City endpoint coordinates are a practical East Park / river-corridor anchor and must be verified locally before launch.
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.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Winnebago River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Winnebago River?
Paddle Today watches Winnebago River at Mason City, IA and treats 100 cfs to 1,500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Winnebago River route start and end?
This route starts at William Rhodes Island Park below-dam access and ends at Mason City East Park / Winnebago River corridor, about About 15 mi by the mapped endpoint anchors; CanWePaddle lists the nominal town-to-town reach as 13 mi on the water.
Is this Winnebago 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.