Iowa | Northeast Iowa
North Fork Maquoketa River
Ozark Bridge / 21st Ave to Caven Bridge Access
Check current paddling conditions for this North Fork Maquoketa 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 from the Ozark Bridge / 21st Ave access area near 185th Street and take out at the east-bank Caven Bridge Access on 60th Ave. This short Ozark Wildlife Area route has fast current, easy riffles, boulders, and steep Driftless bluffs.
Put-in
Ozark Bridge / 21st Ave access area Open mapOzark Bridge is an undeveloped access rather than a managed ramp. Jackson County marks it as not managed by JCCB, and WRT describes using a public pull-off and faint trail near 185th Street instead of the tall bridge bank.
Take-out
Caven Bridge Access / 60th Ave Open mapCaven Bridge Access is the named public take-out at 60th Ave, but the bridge has been removed. Use the east-bank public side; WRT notes the west bank is private and requires permission.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats
- Ozark Bridge is an undeveloped access rather than a managed ramp. Jackson County marks it as not managed by JCCB, and WRT describes using a public pull-off and faint trail near 185th Street instead of the tall bridge bank.
- Caven Bridge Access is the named public take-out at 60th Ave, but the bridge has been removed. Use the east-bank public side; WRT notes the west bank is private and requires permission.
- Coordinates come from Jackson County water-trail table coordinates rounded to two decimals. Use road names, signs, and same-day scouting to pinpoint the practical launch and carry-out paths.
Watch for
- Swift current and light Class I riffles immediately downstream of the put-in that become pushier above the target range.
- Muddy undeveloped banks at both ends, plus steep bridge-area approaches and limited roadside maneuvering on gravel roads.
- Cold shoulder-season water, fast rises after heavy rain, and private-property boundaries around road-right-of-way and west-bank access.
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 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 | North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, 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 | 231 cfs to 400 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 701 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Wisconsin River Trips North Fork Maquoketa Ozark gauge ladder |
| 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.
- Official access table Ozark Bridge and Caven Bridge Access
Jackson County Conservation lists Ozark Bridge as an undeveloped North Fork water-trail access near 21st Ave / 187th Street and Caven Bridge Access at 60th Ave, with coordinates published for both access areas.
- County river context Cascade to Ozark / Caven corridor
Jones County describes the North Fork below Cascade as a remote scenic paddling corridor and says paddlers can take out in Jackson County at Ozark Bridge on 21st Ave or Caven Bridge Access on 60th Ave.
- Published route report 21st Ave / 185th Street to 60th Ave
Wisconsin River Trips documents this 4.4-mile Ozark Wildlife Area route with steep bluffs, boulders, swift current, easy Class I riffles, and undeveloped public east-bank access notes.
- Target range 231 to 400 cfs
WRT treats 231 to 300 cfs as average and good for paddling, and 301 to 400 cfs as above average but still good, using the North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton gauge.
- Low and high cutoffs <150 cfs / 701+ cfs
The same route ladder says less than 150 cfs may be too shallow and 701 to 1000 cfs is very high, perhaps only suitable for advanced paddlers; the app uses 701+ cfs as the broad recreational high-water cutoff.
- Direct gauge USGS 05418400
USGS operates North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, IA, a live same-river gauge downstream of the Ozark Wildlife Area route and the gauge used by the route report.
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
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Reports
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Quick answers
North Fork Maquoketa River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling North Fork Maquoketa River?
Paddle Today watches North Fork Maquoketa River near Fulton, IA and treats 231 cfs to 400 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this North Fork Maquoketa River route start and end?
This route starts at Ozark Bridge / 21st Ave access area and ends at Caven Bridge Access / 60th Ave, about 4.4 mi on the water.
Is this North Fork Maquoketa 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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