Wolf
G) Five Islands to Keshena Falls (9.5 miles) ** ACCESS ISSUES **
| Difficulty | I-III+ |
| Length | 9 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 7 fpm |
| Reach Info Last Updated | September 26, 2022 |
River Description
IMPORTANT!
This reach lies entirely within Menominee tribal lands. It is NOT LEGAL to paddle or walk to the drops described here for all non-Menominees. Driving smaller roads, such as most or all 'BIA' (Bureau of Indian Affairs) roads may also be not permitted. If in doubt in Menominee County, stick to paved roads. Arrest and conviction on trespassing charges in Menominee county may result in fine, imprisonment, and confiscation of materials used in the act of trespass up to and including vehicles! This reach is included for the sake of completeness and as warning against exploring this stretch. It is crucially important to note that there are areas which tribal history holds sacred, and your mere presence would be akin to defiling a church altar. Please respect tribal history and sensitivities!
While the section of the Wolf that may be paddled by the general public in Menominee County ends at Big Smoky Falls, the whitewater does not. The river retains the 'lake/drop' character it has on Section 4 but the distance between drops increases significantly in the lower portion of this reach. The river between Big Smoky Falls and Five Islands contains quietwater. The information contained below has been obtained through interpretation of available data and conversation with Menominee tribal members.
From Five Islands, visible roadside off Hwy 55, there is quietwater for a half mile until Turtle Rapids. Turtle Rapids seems to be a low grade boulderbed rapid. At 1.1 miles is White Rapids, a drop that occurs at a constriction and bend in the river. There is quietwater until Big Eddy Falls at 3.0 miles.
Light boulderbed should signal the entrance to Big Eddy Falls. The river constricts, then drops into a sizable hole. This is f
...River Features
Put In
Drainage at Put-in: ~602 square miles
As calculated by USGS StreamStats V4.3.11, drainage at the listed put-in is 602 square miles.
This is nearly 30% more than drainage at the USGS gauge on the Wolf at Langlade.
(Thus, on average, on might expect flows in this section to be 1.3 * that gauge reading.)
By the take-out below Keshena Falls, drainage has increased to 790 square miles (another 31% increase).
Turtle Rapids
Turtle rapids is about 100 yds of nice wavy II with a sweeping s-turn.
White Rapids
White Rapids is a ledge or very short, steep boulder/bedrock drop, a good quality II or II+ rapids (kind of like First Drop on the Roaring Rapids).
Big Eddy Falls
After about 1.5 miles of flatwater, a couple of little ledge/wave/holes are the signal that you are approaching Big Eddy Falls. A very impressive amphitheater-like scene awaits, and a long portage (if needed). An initial sliding drop leads to a middle pool, then a (likely bigger, nastier) drop into the bottom pool. (There may be a river-left route on this lower drop which could be more friendly than the main chute.)
The name refers to the huge pool with 'big eddies' on both sides circulating back to the drop.
A tribal council member's house sits below the pool, having a full view of the falls out a big picture window. This house is at the end of Trampe Road (AKA BIA 82).
Wolf River Rapids
Light boulder-bed rapids, not even 0.1 mile long. (Hard to understand why this even has a name, much less seems to be THE namesake rapids for the river.)
Bear Trap Falls Road/BIA 16
Bear Trap Falls Road (AKA BIA 16) crosses the river. (Mostly cited as a waymarker.)
Immediately downstream lies another (unnamed) minor wavetrain.
Confluence with W.Br.Wolf
Coming in from river-right, the West Branch of the Wolf is a fairly substantial tributary, contributing its 164 square miles drainage at the confluence.
(Wayka Falls is just a very short way upstream on this tributary, and could be worth a brief detour.)
Immediately downstream of this confluence (at the end of Fanny Lamay Road, AKA BIA 26) sits another pair of tribal homes with full view of this confluence.
A very light boulder-garden lies just downstream.
minor, unnamed feature
A small ledge/wave/hole, and some trailing boulderbed/wavetrain, a brief break, and more minor boulderbed/rapids/waves around the bend.
Spirit Rock
Spirit Rock has very deep significance to the Menominee Tribe, and lies up shore in this vicinity.
Crescent Isle
A small crecent-shaped island mid-river signals a minor bit of riffles and rips.
Wavetrain and Bedrock Dike
A bit of a wavetrain is formed where dikes of bedrock force the river to the right. A final bedrock dike juts into the flow and creates a couple of good holes. A large eddy behind the final dikes yields to a few more good waves.
Keshena Falls
Visible from road bridge and roadside parking, this is a rather complex drop, with water spreading across a wide falls with (potentially) a few options of route.
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportI paddled this section in about 1975 with my father, David Kuckuk of Shawano. This is all from memory. It has gorgeous scenery, better than the upper sections. Turtle rapids is about 100 yds of nice wavy II with a sweeping s-turn. White rapids is a ledge or very short, steep boulder drop, also a good quality II or II+ rapids kind of like First Drop on the Roaring Rapids. Big Eddy is in a very impressive amphitheater-like scene. Long portage for us open canoeists. The name refers to the huge pool with 'big eddies' on both sides circulating back to the drop.
I don't remember anything other than riffles elsewhere on the run, and we took out at the bridge that starts Keshena Falls.