See all 4 routes on Sugar River
Wisconsin | South-Central Wisconsin
Sugar River
Highway 69 to Paoli
Check current paddling conditions for this Sugar 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 Highway 69 canoe/kayak landing in Falk Wells Sugar River Wildlife Area and take out at Paoli near the County PB bridge. This is the best short upper-Sugar option, with riffles, clear gravel shallows, public conservation land, and a small former-dam drop near Paoli.
Put-in
Falk Wells Sugar River Wildlife Area / Highway 69 canoe-kayak launch Open mapThe Highway 69 launch is a Dane County carry-in access with parking, but it is a wildlife-area landing rather than a staffed park facility.
Take-out
Paoli Mill / County PB bridge take-out Open mapThe Paoli take-out is used by Dane County paddle events and by local paddlers, but the mill-area access is not an unrestricted public boat landing; confirm current parking and take-out permission before staging there.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats
- The Highway 69 launch is a Dane County carry-in access with parking, but it is a wildlife-area landing rather than a staffed park facility.
- The Paoli take-out is used by Dane County paddle events and by local paddlers, but the mill-area access is not an unrestricted public boat landing; confirm current parking and take-out permission before staging there.
- This is a narrow creek-like route. Fresh storm wood can change access and passage even when the Verona gauge is in range.
Watch for
- Strainers, overhanging branches, and current pushing into wood on tight bends.
- A fun but consequential Class I+ former-dam chute near Paoli, followed by a concrete-remnant hazard where the current can draw boats left.
- Shallow riffles below the practical low-water floor and pushy obstacle-dodging at high or rising water.
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 | Sugar River near Verona, 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 | 55 cfs to 100 cfs |
| Low threshold | 50 cfs |
| High threshold | 200 cfs |
| Data confidence behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MilesPaddled Sugar River II and Wisconsin River Trips Paoli gauge notes |
| 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.
- Gauge observations 53 to 64 cfs worked; 100 cfs full
MilesPaddled recorded 53 cfs as just enough for the Riverside-to-Paoli version and 56 cfs for a longer Bobcat-to-Paoli update, while Wisconsin River Trips recorded 64 cfs as a good depth and treats about 100 cfs as a pretty full river.
- High-water caution 200+ cfs avoid for casual trips
Wisconsin River Trips says 200 and 300 cfs readings happen only after heavy rain and, because of fast current and downed trees, does not suggest paddling when the river is high. MilesPaddled similarly cautions that above about 4 ft would be wild and unruly.
- Direct gauge USGS 05435950
USGS operates the Sugar River near Verona monitoring location, the direct same-river gauge used by both route reports for this upper-Sugar corridor.
- Put-in support Falk Wells Highway 69 canoe/kayak launch
Dane County and local tourism sources describe the Falk Wells Sugar River Wildlife Area with carry-in canoe/kayak access landings, including the Highway 69 / West Parking Lot launch at 1752 State Highway 69.
- Take-out support Paoli / Canal Street take-out
Dane County paddle events stage the take-out at 6889 Canal Street in Paoli, and MilesPaddled gives the Paoli Mill / County PB bridge take-out coordinates used for the route.
- Endpoint coordinates Highway 69 42.950098, -89.545272; Paoli 42.93032, -89.5244
The put-in coordinate follows the named Falk Wells Highway 69 launch context from Dane County / Recplanet, and the take-out coordinate comes from MilesPaddled's Paoli Mill GPS point.
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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Sugar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Sugar River?
Paddle Today watches Sugar River near Verona, WI and treats 55 cfs to 100 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Sugar River route start and end?
This route starts at Falk Wells Sugar River Wildlife Area / Highway 69 canoe-kayak launch and ends at Paoli Mill / County PB bridge take-out, about 3.3 mi on the water.
Is this Sugar 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.