Wisconsin | Central Wisconsin
Eau Claire River
Bear Lake Road Bridge Landing to County N Bridge Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Eau Claire 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
Launch at Bear Lake Road Bridge Landing and take out at County N Bridge Landing for Wisconsin Trail Guide EC1. This is a long whitewater day with the Dells of the Eau Claire in the middle and the Kelly USGS gauge downstream.
Put-in
Bear Lake Road Bridge Landing Open mapBear Lake Road is a hand-carry bridge landing with roadside parking, not a large developed ramp.
Take-out
County N Bridge Landing Open mapCounty N Bridge Landing is a hand-carry take-out on river right above the bridge with parking west of the bridge.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats
- Bear Lake Road is a hand-carry bridge landing with roadside parking, not a large developed ramp.
- County N Bridge Landing is a hand-carry take-out on river right above the bridge with parking west of the bridge.
- The USGS Kelly gauge is downstream of the route, so recent local rain, falling or rising trends, and visual scouting matter more than the number alone.
Watch for
- Class II-III rapids, boulder gardens, and scratchy ledges when the river is low.
- The Eau Claire Dells class IV feature; most full-route paddlers should portage at the county park unless they have appropriate whitewater skill.
- Powerful hydraulics above about 2,000 cfs, possible debris or downed trees after storms, cold water, and a long shuttle with limited quick exits.
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.
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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 score Today'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.
Outlook Tomorrow 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 score Gauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Eau Claire River at Kelly, 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 | 600 cfs to 1,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,000 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin Trail Guide Eau Claire River EC1 suggested river levels |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
Notes What 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 level bands 300 / 600-1,500 / 2,000 cfs
Wisconsin Trail Guide lists below 300 cfs as not recommended, 300 to 600 cfs as bony low-hazard whitewater, 600 to 1,000 cfs as low runnable, 1,000 to 1,500 cfs as medium runnable and excellent/challenging, 1,500 to 2,000 cfs as high runnable for novice-whitewater paddlers, and 2,000+ cfs as avoid for less-experienced paddlers.
- Gauge fit USGS 05397500 at Kelly
Wisconsin Trail Guide points the EC1 route to the USGS gauge at Kelly / Highway SS Bridge and warns that it is about 11 miles downstream of the end of the segment, so trend and recent rainfall matter.
- Endpoint coordinates 45.05860, -89.27024 to 44.94419, -89.41916
Wisconsin Trail Guide publishes NAD83/WGS84 waypoints for Bear Lake Road Bridge Landing and County N Bridge Landing in the EC1 guide.
- Access details Hand-carry bridge landings with parking
The EC1 guide describes Bear Lake Road Bridge Landing as hand-carry access with roadside parking and County N Bridge Landing as a river-right take-out above the bridge with hand-carry access and parking.
- Route character 13.9 to 14.2 river miles, class II-III(IV)
Wisconsin Trail Guide maps Bear Lake Road Bridge to County N Bridge as the EC1 route and describes the Dells, Upper Island Dells, and Lower Island Dells as the key whitewater/scenic features.
- Supplemental route report Bear Lake Road to Highway 52 route context
Wisconsin River Trips corroborates the upstream Bear Lake Road access, boulder gardens, rapids, and post-storm wood risk on the first part of the EC1 corridor.
Verify it yourself Check 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.
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Quick answers
Eau Claire River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Eau Claire River?
Paddle Today watches Eau Claire River at Kelly, WI and treats 600 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 Eau Claire River route start and end?
This route starts at Bear Lake Road Bridge Landing and ends at County N Bridge Landing, about 13.9 mi on the water.
Is this Eau Claire River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.