Midwest Whitewater River Inventory: Mail Hook / FAQs
Mail Hook / FAQs
In order to avoid having to repeat the same advice to too many different people, please peruse the following list of frequently asked questions. Many inquiries from users of this website fall into one of the following categories.
Q: Why isn't the (fill in a name) River covered by the MRI?
A: First, contrary to the implication of the name, the MRI is not intended to be a comprehensive 'inventory'. As the
Background Page explains, I have tried to avoid duplication of information I know is available elsewhere, either on the web or in print, unless I felt I could add substantially to information presented therein. Thus, for example, you will not find (on the MRI) descriptions of such whitewater 'classics' as the Wolf River or the Peshtigo River. For more information on other whitewater rivers, you may wish to check one of the following sources online:
Also, my personal background (and emphasis on the MRI) is primarily whitewater. Thus, you will not find popular flatwater rivers such as the Kickapoo, Buffalo, Mecan, Bark, Lemonweir, and so forth. Again, many of these are described in other guidebooks. Highly recommended are Mike Svob's books (three books I'm aware of presently, covering Northern Wisconsin, Southern Wisconsin, and Illinois) and the venerable (though somewhat dated, as it has been 'reprinted' but not significantly updated since its first printing in 1973) Whitewater; Quietwater (Bob & Jody Palzer).
Otherwise, if you have information on a river (which is not detailed in an existing guide) which has at least some potential whitewater interest (at some water level), send the info along. I would love to have the information to pass along to other regional boaters . And do not fret that your 'secret spot' will suddenly become overcrowded. Most times and places in the Midwest, the problems seems to be finding other folks to boat with, rather than finding places which aren't too crowded!
Return to top.Q: I am interested in rafting (or renting a canoe) on the (fill in a name) River (described on the MRI). Can you tell me the names of any outfitters I could use?
A: Virtually all of the rivers detailed on the MRI are either (or both):
(1) runnable only in early spring or for a brief period after heavy rains in summer, -or-
(2) short, essentially "park-and-play" areas for whitewater boaters.
As such, to my knowledge, none of them offer whitewater rafting excursions. There is just not a sufficient season or reason to make it profitable for anyone to attempt a commercial business. All of these runs are intended primarily for the 'private' boater (I.E., people who have their own equipment).
To my knowledge, all commercial whitewater rafting in Wisconsin is on the following:
(1) Wolf River, Section 3 (Langlade County),
(2) Wolf River, Section 4 (Menominee County),
(3) Peshtigo River (Marinette County),
(4) Menominee River (Marinette County).
I'm not presently aware of any commercial rafting in Upper Peninsula Michigan, and in Minnesota the only one that I'm aware of is on the Upper St.Louis River, SouthWest of Duluth. In Illinois, there is an outfitter on the Vermilion (near Oglesby, IL).
The Bois Brule (in way northwest Wisconsin) also has outfitters for canoe or 'entry-level' kayak trips. Additionally, there are a few tamer river stretches for novice 'splishy-splash' float trips by canoe or inner-tube. Most popular are Crystal River ("Ding's Dock"), Apple River (tubing), and a couple lower stretches of the Wolf (tubing).
There are numerous canoe liveries for flatwater streams (Kickapoo River, Wisconsin River, etc.), which interested parties should be able to find using a search engine on the web. Additionally, I have information suggesting that in SouthEastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee rents kayaks and canoes to the public. As of this writing, rentals are $20 a day, $30 for the weekend, $52 for the week; call (414) 229-5256. Downtown, you also can rent canoes and kayaks from Laacke & Joys. Call (414) 271-7878.
Return to top.Q: Do you have any recommendations on rivers which might accommodate a multi-day trip (canoe/kayak camping)?
A: Personally, I have not done canoe/kayak camping (other than a single overnite sandbar-camping on the Wisconsin River, Sauk City to Spring Green, a popular flatwater float trip). I have no firsthand knowledge of camping options immediately adjacent to any of the rivers detailed on the MRI. As mentioned elsewhere, most of these reaches are very seasonal, and short in length (at least the whitewater reaches) so multi-day trips (and camping) are not typically a priority nor a likely option.
Return to top.Q: I am planning a trip in {pick a month, pick an area}. Can you recommend any rivers which might be runnable?
A: In general, for non-whitewater rivers in the state, an amazing number of them are floatable nearly all year (other than when frozen, of course). As a friend of mine once said, Wisconsin has many "long, skinny lakes." The implication being that many of the rivers act not so much as flowing streams (in mid- to late-summer) as they act as relatively static repositories of water ("lakes"). While it is likely you may have to be prepared to drag across some areas, you can probably float the majority of many rivers even during the 'dry season'. In fact, many of my first 'exploratories' on whitewater reaches on the MRI were done at low flows. Rapids generally were not runnable, but the rest of the river was not a bad float!
For whitewater rivers, the best bet is to check the weather forecasts and gauges for yourself in the days immediately preceding your trip.
Otherwise, two favorites for tracking 'runnable' levels on rivers are:
USGS Wisconsin Current Conditions This one is great because it is organized by watershed, and right next to the "current" flow, it shows the "Long term median flow" for the date. This allows you to check an area and see if things are above, below, or near "normal" for the time of year.
American Whitewater This one is even better (for whitewater boaters). Click on a state, and you will see (color coded) which rivers are at 'runnable' levels, at least for those which have USGS gauges (or have been related to such a gauge).
You can also do a 'search' on their page, where you can (optionally) specify how difficult a river you are looking for and specify a state or region of the country, and request to see only rivers which are at defined 'runnable' levels.
