Wisconsin | Southeast Wisconsin
Menomonee River
Hoyt Park to Bluemound Road access
Check current paddling conditions for this Menomonee River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Today
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
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
Put in at Hoyt Park in Wauwatosa and take out near the Bluemound/Wisconsin Avenue access in the Menomonee Valley. The route is short but busy: shallow bedrock, class I-II rapids, one stronger ledge, strainers, walls, and urban water-quality cautions all matter.
Put-in
Hoyt Park / TOSA Pool river access Open mapHoyt Park is a public park, but the exact river access is informal enough that parking, carry distance, and posted rules should be checked before unloading.
Take-out
Bluemound Road / Wisconsin Avenue Menomonee River access Open mapThe downstream access is an urban bridge/valley access, not a polished rural landing. Wisconsin River Trips describes it as public space but not yet a completed ramp, so confirm the exit, parking legality, and construction closures before you launch.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats
- Hoyt Park is a public park, but the exact river access is informal enough that parking, carry distance, and posted rules should be checked before unloading.
- The downstream access is an urban bridge/valley access, not a polished rural landing. Wisconsin River Trips describes it as public space but not yet a completed ramp, so confirm the exit, parking legality, and construction closures before you launch.
- Do not extend downstream into industrial or harbor sections unless you have a separate route plan and confirmed take-out.
Watch for
- Class I-II rapids plus a stronger scoutable ledge near the railroad/Wisconsin Avenue corridor.
- Strainers, walls, sharp rocks, bridge remnants, and fast current pushing into obstacles.
- Flashy post-rain rises, MMSD overflow context, and urban water-quality issues. Avoid this route during or shortly after heavy rain.
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.
No approved route photos yet
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 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 | Menomonee River at Wauwatosa, 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 | 151 cfs to 250 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | 400 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips Menomonee River Hoyt Park depth guide |
| 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.
- Rec-paddling target 151 to 250 cfs
Wisconsin River Trips treats 151 to 250 cfs at Wauwatosa as likely a good target range for recreational paddlers, while noting that class II experience is still needed.
- Low-water floor 100 cfs
The same source describes 0 to 60 cfs as too shallow, 61 to 100 cfs as very shallow, and 101 to 150 cfs as still shallow enough that many sources warn it is too low.
- Upper rec ceiling ~400 cfs
Wisconsin River Trips treats 251 to 400 cfs as the upper bound for recreational paddling and says higher water is whitewater territory rather than a normal rec-paddling call.
- AW gauge range 125 to 3,000 cfs
American Whitewater lists the Wauwatosa gauge for this Menomonee reach and publishes a much broader whitewater runnable range, including higher-flow bands that PaddleToday should treat as advanced whitewater context.
- Gauge placement Direct same-route gauge
American Whitewater says the Wauwatosa gauge is midway down the listed reach and accurately portrays actual flow, while also warning the river rises and falls quickly.
- Urban water-quality caution Avoid after rain
Wisconsin River Trips recommends staying off the Menomonee during or after big rain because of urban water-quality and sewer-overflow concerns.
- Overflow context Check MMSD after storms
MMSD explains that heavy rain can trigger combined or sanitary sewer overflows into nearby waterways and publishes current overflow information. This is a route-level caution because the Menomonee is an urban river in the MMSD service area.
- Take-out quality Public space, not a polished ramp
Wisconsin River Trips describes the Bluemound/Wisconsin Avenue exit as a public space where paddlers currently climb out on rocks rather than using a completed access ramp.
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.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
More in Wisconsin
All 65 routesNearby routes by distance
Quick answers
Menomonee River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Menomonee River?
Paddle Today watches Menomonee River at Wauwatosa, WI and treats 151 cfs to 250 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Menomonee River route start and end?
This route starts at Hoyt Park / TOSA Pool river access and ends at Bluemound Road / Wisconsin Avenue Menomonee River access, about 4.1 mi on the water.
Is this Menomonee 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
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.