White (Fox/Illinois trib.)
Sheridan Springs Road to Mill Street (3.75 miles)
| Difficulty | I(II) |
| Length | 3.2 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 13 fpm |
| Gauge | Jackson Creek at Mound Road Near Elkhorn, Wi |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 8 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | April 24, 2026 |
River Description
Quick Facts:
Location: Between Lake Geneva and Burlington, WI.
Shuttle Length: 2 miles
Character: Fine mostly rural float. Water is (generally) clearer than many streams due to half the watershed being outflow from Lake Geneva.
Put-in is approximately 814' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 776' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 38'.
Gauge info:
The gauge at the outlet of Geneva Lake has gone unfunded. As a result, we are now linking to relatively nearby gauge for Jackson Creek at Mound Road Near Elkhorn (USGS-05431016). Jackson creek is unregulated at (has no dams upstream of) this gauge, and has drainage of just 16.8 square miles. Since drainage at our listed put-in for this run is 60 sq.mi., flow here might be about 3.5 times flow reported by this gauge.
Since flow into the White River is regulated (by the dam at the outlet for Geneva Lake), you should expect correlation will often be poor. Actual flow and runnability must be confirmed by onsite inspection at the put-in, take-out, or at Spring Valley Road.
General Overview
Recommended put-in is at Sheridan Springs Road, just South of Buckby Road.
Historically, the take-out was at Spring Valley Road, but that area has been posted with 'no trespassing' signs, so boaters should continue about 2/3 of a mile to take out at a park on Mill Street in 'downtown' Lyons.
A much longer run may be made starting (further upstream) at the edge of the city of Lake Geneva, and continuing (further downstream) to the confluence with Honey Creek (just outside of Burlington) or further. However, virtually all of the added distance is flatwater.
Most of the run is best characterized as an intimate little stream flowing through prairie lands. A few random spots create small waves, some of which may allow
...River Features
Put In
At this road/river crossing, there is a fairly decent-sized pull-off area to park, unload boats, and have a very short carry to launch.
White River Park
Some folks (especially larger groups) may opt to start at this park. However, it is a longer carry/drag to the water (~370', more than the length of a football field) versus a carry/drag of maybe 120' at our listed put-in.
From their website: 'White River Park, the County's largest and newest park, opened in July of 2014. With nearly 200 acres and two miles of frontage along the White River, this park will initially feature walking trails (almost five miles already developed) cross country skiing, a canoe/kayak launch, picnicking, fishing, hunting and trapping (by permit only).'
See more at: Walworth County: White River Park.
There is a minor rock-dam/riffle here which may provide tame surfs for novice boaters.
Downstream, if the weather is pleasant, there is likely to be people on trails and benches, enjoying the park, and watching you enjoy the river.
Spring Valley Road / Lyons Wave
Just outside of Lyons, as the river passes under Spring Valley Road, lies the (potentially) most interesting whitewater on the river. Old maps show a dam and millpond here. For decades there was a uniformly-sloped cement slide under this bridge. Many years back, that was broken up and hauled away, and replaced with a stretch of large quarried rock.
At low flows, this will be shallow and scrapey (a real pain in the butt). At moderate or higher flows, it will may provide the biggest excitement on the trip. For experienced whitewater paddlers, there may be some relatively minor play here. At some flows, the pool at the base of the slide may have enough current to do stalls and squirts. Be aware there is a fair amount of rock which has flushed out from under the bridge some distance into the pool. Getting fully vertical or getting upside-down is likely to mean an encounter with those rocks.
This spot used to be done as a 'park-and-play', either carrying up repeatedly to 'run the dam', or just staying in the pool below to surf, squirt, roll, etc. However, this area is heavily posted against trespass, emphasizing the illegality of setting foot on dry land anywhere other than the immediate 'right-of-way' of the road.
As you continue downstream, you are likely to encounter some wood flanking the stream (though there seems to be regular 'maintenance', sawing most complete blockages not long after they occur). It is only about 0.75 mile to the city park in Lyons for the listed take-out.
Take Out: Riverview Park
Recommended take-out is at Riverview Park in the unincorporated community of Lyons.
The park is little more than a parking area along the river (no facilities).
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportMatt Huml and I called this our Lake Geneva play spot for many years. There is some good potential here for a quality surf wave and, in fact, there is some good gradient directly in the town of Lake Geneva. All in all, this is a fun float to get wet and there are places to teach beginners. I can always say that I learned how to 'stern squirt' and 'roll' my first play boat here - the old Forplay!