Wisconsin
G) Prairie du Sac (PnP)
| Difficulty | II |
| Length | 0.32 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Wisconsin River at Muscoda, Wi |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 9590 cfsmedium runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | August 3, 2022 |
River Description
Local training grounds and work-out water for Madison area boaters. Rocky outrun from dam/powerplant creates some potential for play. At times of high flow it may provide some excellent 'big water' practice, with powerful swirls and boils.
The gauge listed is well-downstream and may not accurately reflect actual flow here. The Alliant Energy website for this location provides better info, listing the total flow here (through the powerhouse and over the spillway of the dam): Alliant Energy HydroFlowRateData
An anonymous contributor provides (2008-11-02):
'paddled this today around 5,000cfs and its good fun! You can put in right [near] the dam and paddle down. There is a rather big wave in the middle of the right channel, very hard to catch. Then its just turbulent and pushy water till you make it down to the big eddy on river right.
There is a surprisingly nice wave at the top of the eddy that is a cake walk to paddle into. Its pretty fast and can allow some ends and wavewheels, flatspins maybe. What's nice is that soon as you get washed out just head back for the big river right eddy. There you will find a train of whirlpools on the (quite long and super deep) eddy line. SQUIRT CITY! (reminds me of the Gauley -- well, minus the huge ugly dam taking up the entire view.) It also has magnificent eddy service. A few paddle strokes and you're back in the wave.
I didn't find much else to play around in. Everything is either too swift or too rocky. But the one wave on river right made it well worth the trip and I paddled all day.
There were a lot of local fishermen. Most were friendly and came over to talk and watch, others offered scowls. A lot of people were really surprised to see a kayaker and I drew quite an audience. Just smile and wave.
I may be making anot
...River Features
Take Out
Put In
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportAlliant Energy provides outflow data on their website. With Muscoda so far downstream, this avoids the long delay in flow change information.
The dam wave hole is awesome at high water. It looks small, yet sticky and sort of scary as it has some characteristics of a low-head dam. But the hole is pretty flushy just about everywhere but a few spots where it is real juicy; allowing loops cartwheels faltspins etc.
Heres a quick vid of the rapids at 11,000-12,000cfs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMZo9PGgO0g
This wave forms around 11,500 -12,000cfs. River right, no eddy. Big and juicy!
Matthew Cooper here. I rode my bike here yesterday and played all night and morning. At around 11,400 - 12500 cfs there is only one surfable wave/hole on rivber right that is medium-large and deep, no eddy though. However, i finally gathered the courage to play in the dam hole and it was incredible at 12,500. Putting in is tricky cause you have to carry over a wall, but the dam hole allows all sorts of moves at high water, loops, spins blunts, cartwheels. And though the dam hole looks a bit scary and sticky, its really not, as the water washes down stream into the rapids below. I took some cell phone pics and video and will try to upload soon.
Oh yeah, the eddy is piroutt-tastic too.