Sangamon
Petersburg: "Dead Carp Drop" (PnP)
| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 0.43 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Sangamon River at Petersburg, Il |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 4250 cfsabove recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 20, 2025 |
River Description
This is the premier park and play spot for Central Illinois.
Depending upon river level, play ranges from small waves, to big waves and a big hole.
A huge eddy houses debris (anything from trees to garbage to the namesake fish) so stay on your toes.
Some additional info available at Playak Destinations
River Features
Put In
Low-water surfs
Even at just 300 cfs, there is a wave for some boat time!
Enders
Some of the fun which may be had (flow/level unfortunately unknown).
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportUntitled
Jun 10, 2010
Paddled the DCD yesterday at 2500. It was too high for any significant play opportunities. There was one shallow play hole that only allowed flatspins on far river left and a pretty small surf wave on far river right. The DCD hole was very much washed out and only remained as a completely green (brown) wave. Perhaps if you had a long boat, surfboard, or body board you could surf it well. But no luck in my playboat.
Clinton Begley
Jul 27, 2004
Definitely worth the drive for a beginner looking to get some surfing or hole playing experience under his/her belt. The whole length of the sangamon river is pretty tame class I stuff except for this nice little drop in petersburg. We drove 2 hours and weren't disapointed. More experienced paddlers may be bored with it or feel it wasn't worth the trip, but if you live close and are looking for a whitewater fix, this is the place!
