River Water Levels
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You can use the historical river data and when you last paddled/canoed/travelled the river to compare level/flow values with your experience.
WCA takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information given or levels shown on the links, and anyone using this information does so at their own risk.
Using river level information inherently includes a judgment factor. What one may consider an easy or safe level, someone else might not, and vice-versa. There is also a risk that due to recent heavy rain or an opening of a dam just before the trip, the level that the canoeists encounter when they arrive is nothing like that seen on the link before they left for the trip.
Historical Hydrometric Data Map Search at
Use the real-time data to monitor what the current level/flow is. From this you can estimate what the levels will be on a future date you want to do the river.
Real-Time Hydrometric Data Map Search at
Southern Ontario
Ontario Power Generation
The site offers some historical and current data on various rivers
https://www.opg.com/powering-ontario/our-generation/hydro/river-system-data/
Beaver Creek
Min: 10 cms, Ideal: 22 cms and above – lots of water, good surf waves, Max: Routinely peaks in the 40’s. Low bridges may become a hazard above this.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HK006
Black River – Queensboro
Min: 8 cms. Ideal: 18 and above. Max: above 40.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HL003
Black River Washago
Min: 7.75 m. Ideal: 8.1 to 8.7 m. Max: above 9 m take care going under bridges.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02EC002
Burnt River near Burnt River
Min: 3.25 m. Ideal: 3.25 to 4.0 m. Max: 5 m spring peak.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HF003
Credit River at Streetsvile
Optimal at gauge level 4.7m to 5.0m. Above that gets washed out. At 4.65m it becomes full on class 2 river with a bit of bumping off the bottom in places. and dodging rocks, but lots of fun!. Have run it at 4.55 m it was ok, but more bumping off the bottom.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HB029
Crowe Bridge
Minimum: 8 cms for the lower hole, 40 cms for the bridge waves
Between 40 and 100, the play is mellow
Ideal: 100 cms and above are optimal play levels
Over 100 is the level that the hole (second feature) gets big.
Max: 240 cms
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HK003
Elora Gorge
Summer Low, 10-40 cms: increase of water takes the bump and grind out of the river. Class 1-2
40-80 cms: Bumps the grade of most sets up a notch as the waves get bigger and the holes get stickier. Class 2-3.
80-120 cms: Big water run, with an overall grade hovering in the Class 3-4.
120+: Everything just keeps getting bigger and faster.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02GA016
Gull River at Norland
Low: 3.4 m summer, Ideal 3.5 to 3.8 m, high: 4.1 m peaks
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HF002
Head River at Sebright
Low: 8.9 m summer, Ideal 9.1 to 9.4 m, high: 9.7 m peaks
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02EC022
Lower Madawaska/Palmers Rapids
Min: runnable down to 15 cms
Ideal: running: 30-60 cms is good, and runs to 100 are good but character of river changes to big features and less technical.
Max: 225. At higher flows many rapids become less technical and fairly washed out.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02KD004
Magnetawan
Summer low: 15
Idea:l 40-60 cms Class 3-4 river
Max:135 cms
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02EA011
Mississagua River
There is no online gauge for the Mississagua. There is a gauge on the bridge at the Hwy 36 takeout. Class 2-3. Normally a spring and possible fall run. Summer is typically a bump and grind unless a big rain the day before.
Moira River at Foxboro
Low 7.5 m is bump & grind. Low to mid-8’s m are ideal. Over 8.5 flow through the woods on shoreline could make boat recover danagerous in sections. At 9 m parking lot at Chisholm’s Mill is flooded.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HL001
Moira River – Electric Chair – Belleville
Electric Chair comes in around 7.85 on the gauge, flushes out at about 8.15
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HL001
Moon River
Depending on Georgian Bay water levels, the wave starts at about 1.6 m, really good above 2.6 m on the online gauge. Good flows are usually April/May with another season in late fall
The river is dam regulatated and you should contact the Bala dam site to find out what their water discharge rates are and if it is safe to paddle up and down stream to Georgian Bay.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02EB011
Opeongo River
Class 1-4. Narrow continuous river. No bail out or exit on the river. Once you start you have to finish at takeout.
There is no online gauge for the Opeongo. Check inflow into Bark Lake, it is usually about 1/3 Opeongo, 2/3 Upper Madawaska. Click on Eastern Ontario > Madawaska River (PDF) link. Read OPG Forecast for inflow. Note table data is the outflow, DO NOT USE.
In flow into Bark Lake; 20 cms boney min.), 45-90 cms ideal, 120 sporty max for open boats.
Hydroelectric power | Water system data portal – OPG
Ottawa River, Beachburg section
Spring levels can be as high as 26, which flush almost all the features, but give the river a BIG water feel.
8 and above is generally considered a good level for the Middle Channel
From 8 down to 5 is an in-between level with a few decent spots.
From 4 down, the big features start to form, with the best main-channel play levels being between 2 – -1
http://www.shaggydesigns.com/gauge/ottawa.htm
Ottawa River, Champlain and other town playspots
The waves are best between 58.4 and 58.7 on the Britannia Gauge. As levels fall the waves further downstream become shallower and there is the potential of hitting rocks.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02KF005
Oxtongue River
Minimum: 10 cms
Ideal: 15-20
30 cms: very beefy. Hogs trough is a full-on class 5+, Elbow develops river-wide holes.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02EB014
Petawawa, town run
The town run of the Pet offers some great class 3-4 big-water paddling in the spring, with 2 big class 4s and a mix of class 3s.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02KB001
Rouge River, Toronto
Class 1-2. Start at Milne Conservation, end at Lake Ontario. Level 3.38 m doable, but more would be better.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HC022
Salmon River
Class 1 to 2.5. Two class 4’s can be portaged. One of the mellower Hwy 7 spring time runs
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HM010
Skootamata River
Class 2/3 with one 4. The Skoot is typical of other Hwy 7 spring runs, with narrow drops through small gorges mixed with easier rapids and flatwater.
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02HL004
Trent-Severn Waterway
Website information at
www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/on/trentsevern/info/infonet
Water levels Interactive Map at
https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/WaterLevels/?siteId=100419&lat=44.71941044950733&lng=-78.7716293334961&z=9
Upper Madawaska River
Class 3/4/5 The most difficult section of the Madawaska, the Upper Mad can be paddled in several sections, with the lower section accessible by an old rail bed. The section from Whitney to Hermans chute is a class 3/4 run with longer rapids than many southern Ontario runs. Below Hermans are several large, difficult drops, including the seldom-run Little Niagara.Flow : approx 37 cms coming into Bark Lake (estimate based on outflow and lake level)
There is no online gauge for the Upper Madawaska. If you can find out the inflow into Bark Lake, it is usually about 1/3 Opeongo, 2/3 Upper Madawaska. Click on Eastern Ontario Madawaska River
https://www.opg.com/powering-ontario/our-generation/hydro/river-system-data/
Upper Petawawa River
The Upper Pet is fairly steep section with 26 rapids varying from class 3-5. It varies in nature from a technical run at flows from 25 cms down, to a bigwater run at higher levels.
Low: 13 cms (2.3 m online gauge)
Ideal: 25 cms and up (2.45 m online gauge)
High: Unknown. It does get significantly harder at flows above 40 cms, with more of a bigwater feel.
The online gauge is located in the town of Petawawa and is not related to the visual gauge on the highway bridge. Rain in Algonquin park will not affect the Pet town gauge for a couple of days, so there seems to be 2 day lag time between the online gauge and the actual level on the upper Pet. Especially at high, spring flows, the above gauge reading is probably best considered a rough estimate. The 2 day lag time could mean a difference, up or down, or 50 cms
https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/report/real_time_e.html?stn=02KB001
USA
New York State
Black River/Hole Bros/Route 3 wave: Watertown, NY
Min suggested level: 1000 cfs Max suggested level: 6000 cfs (Water town to Dexter)
Min suggested level: 2000 cfs Max suggested level: 5000 cfs (Route 3 Wave)
https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/3595/flow
Moose River: Old Forge NY
The Moose has 3 distinct sections: Middle, Lower, and Bottom. Great descriptions and rapid-rapid analyisis can be found at the link above.
https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/view/river-detail/1352/main
