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Wisconsin | Central Wisconsin
Wisconsin River
Pine Island Boat Ramp to Highway 33 Landing / Portage
Check current paddling conditions for this Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin River from Pine Island Boat Ramp to the Highway 33 / Portage access for a short sandbar, island, and side-slough day route. Use the Wisconsin Dells gauge and avoid assuming any island camping is legal.
Put-in
Pine Island Boat Ramp off Levee RoadOpen mapPine Island Boat Ramp is the DNR-supported Levee Road launch for the wildlife area; confirm current access, road condition, and parking rules before unloading.
Take-out
Highway 33 Landing / Portage accessOpen mapThe Highway 33 access is a carry-in style Portage landing in the WRT/Miles Paddled route context; Sunset Park may be easier depending on water level and group needs.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Pine Island Boat Ramp is the DNR-supported Levee Road launch for the wildlife area; confirm current access, road condition, and parking rules before unloading.
- The Highway 33 access is a carry-in style Portage landing in the WRT/Miles Paddled route context; Sunset Park may be easier depending on water level and group needs.
- Do not camp on Pine Island Wildlife Area lands, Wisconsin River islands, or sandbars within the property boundary.
Watch for
- Braided side sloughs, shallow sandbars, island strainers, and dead-end channels.
- High water covering bars and speeding island currents; low water forcing long drags.
- Wind, motorboat traffic near Portage, private banks, cold water, and storms on the open lower Wisconsin corridor.
Route gallery
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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 | Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Dells, 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 | 4,000 cfs to 8,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 2,500 cfs |
| High threshold | 13,000 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips / Miles Paddled Wisconsin Dells gauge context |
| 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-specific guide6.0 miles
Wisconsin River Trips documents Pine Island Boat Ramp to Hwy 33 Access as a 6.0-mile Wisconsin River route with sandbars, islands, side sloughs, and relative solitude.
- Endpoint coordinates43.54304, -89.58245 to 43.53563, -89.47351
Miles Paddled lists GPS points for Pine Island boat landing off Levee Road and Highway 33 Landing at Portage.
- Access and camping ruleLaunch supported; camping prohibited
Wisconsin DNR lists Pine Island Wildlife Area canoeing/boating and a boat launch on Levee Road, while prohibiting camping and overnight parking on the property including Wisconsin River islands and sandbars.
- Current gauge check2720 cfs / 2.01 ft at 2026-07-22 13:00 CDT
USGS Water Services returned current Wisconsin Dells data above the low floor but below the selected target shoulder during this run.
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
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Quick answers
Wisconsin River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Wisconsin River?
Paddle Today watches Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Dells, WI and treats 4,000 cfs to 8,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Wisconsin River route start and end?
This route starts at Pine Island Boat Ramp off Levee Road and ends at Highway 33 Landing / Portage access, about 6.0 mi on the water.
Is this Wisconsin 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.