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Playspot WI Class II

Shadow (Wave)

Milwaukee - C) Estabrook Park to N.Riverboat Road (PnP or up to 3.6 miles) (WI)

Monitor this Rapid
Gauge Conditions
Milwaukee River at Milwaukee, WI Upstream Primary
Runnable: 120.0 – 9,999.0 CFS

Intermediate flow. Perhaps ideal flows for beginner-to-intermediate boaters (full run or PnP at EPL, UPk, TD or North Ave). (See description for details.)

Data from American Whitewater & USGS
Photo
Shadow (Wave)
Photo courtesy of American Whitewater
Description

A 'fault' in the paver-block bottom creates a surfable/spinnable wave which (much of the year) sits in the shadow of the North Avenue bridge (hence the name). It is at its best from 300 to 1000 cfs. Above that level, a wave diminishes, and will be more difficult to regain as the river-left eddy disappears (or, at least, becomes harder to catch to paddle up to and across to what little 'dish' is there at higher flows).

UPDATE: Heaving from winter freeze-and-thaw has torn-up and pushed around some of the paver-block 'bedrock', causing very unfortunate changes to this feature (and elsewhere down this stretch). While 'Shadow' used to have a sweet pocket and pile, it is now more often only a green (brown) wave. From river-left, it is more challenging to ferry across to the main/center wave for repeat play there. The main/center wave still allows sweet front-surfs and spins, but is more challenging to get to (from the river-left eddy) at most boatable flows. This means (for many paddlers, at many flows) that Shadow will likely be a catch-on-the-fly, one-and-done ride.

Location
Type
Playspot
Difficulty
Class II
Mile Marker
3.2 mi
Directions
Navigate
View Full Run
C) Estabrook Park to N.Riverboat Road (PnP or up to 3.6 miles)
Milwaukee
I-II(III) 3.5 mi
Current Conditions
5-Day Forecast
Whitewater data from
American Whitewater