RED RIVER above Upper Red Lake, (Shawano Co., WI, 15 miles northwest of Shawano)

LENGTH 6 mi., CLASS III (IV), GRADIENT: 12' per mile

SEASON: A week or two in early spring and right after intense rainstorms during the summer.

PUT-IN: Where River Rd. approaches the river upstream from the confluence with the West Branch, 0.5 miles southeast of the turnoff onto Anderson Rd. Be sure not to put in above the first drop (a highlight of the run). The first place where River Road runs right along the river is below this first drop. If it is your first time on the run you could put in at the River Rd. Bridge across the river, but you will have some flatwater to paddle.

TAKEOUT: Co. Hwy. A bridge across the river above Upper Red Lake.

GAGE: USGS near Morgan. It takes about 400 cfs to have a good run on this creek, but you still might hit a few rocks. If it is near 500 cfs go for it. We have seen this creek peak at 900 cfs but only very rarely and not long enough for us to catch it.

FUN FACT: a premier central Wisconsin run in the spring or after heavy rains

SHUTTLE (MAP)

The Upper Red is one of our favorites but the window of boating opportunity is narrow so grab it when you can. We have seen this river at boatable levels in the early spring for a couple days during the snow melt and in the late spring and summer after several days of heavy rain. The water does not stick around for long though. If the water is up on Wednesday you may have to blow off a day of work because the river might not wait for the weekend. If you are boating in the early spring stay alert for ice shelves. Evergreen trees shade the river rather effectively extending their life.

Make sure you get the right put-in on this run or you will miss the first drop. The first drop is a nice class IV slide. You will recognize it by the horizon line and a cabin on river left. It is a big drop that winds around a corner to the right so you should get out to check for strainers. You can figure out the line. There is some good surfing to be had at the bottom.

After this drop the river continues with regular stretches of whitewater interspersed with some flatwater. Two areas where you will want to proceed carefully are around the islands. Footbridges to the island should be approached with caution. The clean channel for the first island is on the right, but the left channel is runnable if the water is high enough. It has a couple of rocks whose position you will probably want to note before taking this route. The second island has a clean route on the left, but make sure you paddle back up the other channel and hop in the hole at the bottom. This is absolutely the best handsurfing hole ever.

22 June 1996 Steve Corsi, Ed Holladay, Tom O'Keefe, Gregg Reimer, Anette Trebitz 450 cfs

5 Apr 1997 Guy Babbitt, John Chapman, Steve Corsi, Tom O'Keefe 525 cfs