The Fox (1000 Islands in Kaukauna) is up and ready to rumble. It’s pushing 11000 cfs as of April 1st. It’s a great place to get some pre season paddling in. It has big water feel and has some nice play as well. I am heading out there tomorrow night! WoooHooo! But keep note, do not go alone! This run can have consequences!
General Overview
A fine stretch of sloping bedrock between and below a couple of dams allows boaters some convenient ‘in town’ exercise. In fact, this stretch has grown quite a following. With its east-central Wisconsin location, boaters are coming from throughout the state (and beyond!) to catch this when it has good flows.
A few features may be regainable (depending on water level, hull speed, and boater skill). Most of the features, however, will be catch-on-the-fly one-shot play. Eddies are very few in this reach, especially as water levels increase. Most of the river (at most sane boatable flows) will be too shallow for vertical moves in most features, but various waves and holes should allow a great mix of surfs and spins.
Caution: A potentially dangerous dam interrupts this reach of river. The dam (between Part II and Part III, as defined below) angles across the river, river-right to river-left. The rightmost river-channel (above the dam) is the outflow from a powerhouse which will almost always carry significant flow, causing strong crosscurrents as the dam diverts virtually all that flow across to river-left. Excellent water reading skills and full knowledge and confidence in setting a ferry-angle to paddle across strong flows will be necessary to successfully negotiate this section of the river.
The braided channel and significant walled-in, fenced-in, and private property areas along the river make getting out of the river not an option through most of this reach. For these reasons, it is highly recommended that this section should not be boated alone, nor by beginner boaters without the company of experienced boaters for safety. (That said, experienced, skilled whitewater boaters should not be at all intimidated by this reach.)
The Lower section (Part III below) can be paddled down to around 4,000 cfs. Access for that is typically by parking at 1000 Islands Nature Center, paddling/ferrying over to an island, to carry across and up into the “Hidden Channel” to surf Mystery Wave. Levels of 4,000 to 7,000 cfs make this wave quite fun, with fast carving and spins/roundhouses possible. River right eddy service is available at the lower flows.
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_3685_
