Bois Brule, Wisconsin, US

A) CTH.B to Hwy. 2 (3.9 miles)

Usual Difficulty	I-II (varies with level)
Length	3.9 Miles
Avg. Gradient	15 fpm
Max Gradient	28 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
BOIS BRULE RIVER AT BRULE, WI
usgs-04025500	125 - 1700 cfs	I-II	70d18h10m	149 cfs (rc= 0.1 )
usgs-04025500	Low boatable.

River Description

Very scenic river with mild whitewater, suitable to novice paddlers. Commercial outfitters are available for canoe or kayak trips on various reaches of this river.

Since there are many springs in the headwaters, flows tend to be very consistent, making this river boatable most of the year.

It is important to note that while a map will show numerous potential access points, many of them are 'off-limits' as launch/landing sites, being designated as access only for fishermen.

According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, the name means "charred wood" or "burnt wood". Also, the correct pronunciation is "bwah broo-ley" (hear it spoken by going to dictionary.reference.com and clicking the 'speaker' icon), though you'll almost never hear it pronounced that way. In fact, there are many who will look askance at you for being so 'snooty' as to employ what they consider a 'mock French' pronunciation! Indeed, this river is often simply referred to as "the Brule". This can create some confusion, however, since there are two other relatively nearby Brule Rivers. One forms the border between Wisconsin and Michigan, and (after the confluence with the Paint and the Michigamme) becomes the Menominee River. While it does contain some whitewater, the rapids are no more than class I (marginally to class II) and there is so much flatwater that it must really be considered more of a flatwater trip for canoeists. The other Brule River (much less likely to cause confusion) being up in Minnesota, well North/East from Duluth, towards the Canadian border. This Brule contains some quite significant whitewater, and is detailed in the Minnesota section of this website.

MnktoDave has a fine video from a trip on the Bois Brule River:

StreamTeam Status: Not Verified

Last Updated: 2010-05-20 16:36:54

No photos found.

Gauge Information

Gauge Description:

The cited gauge lies on this reach (about two miles downstream from the put-in). As a result, the reading will be a very accurate reflection of boatability of this reach.

Gauge/flow analysis
Drainage area at gauge	118 sq.mi.
All time minimum flow	74 cfs
90% of time flow exceeds	119 cfs
10% of time flow exceeds	253 cfs
All time maximum flow	1,700 cfs
10/90 ratio ('flashy-ness') (under 3 is fairly steady, over 10 is quite 'flashy')	2.1
Average runnable days per year	298

Offseason ('Ice') gauge conversion:
1.55 = 135cfs
1.80 = 180cfs
1.92 = 200cfs

Gauge Information

Name

Range

Difficulty

Updated

Level

BOIS BRULE RIVER AT BRULE, WI

usgs-04025500

125 - 1700 cfs

I-II

70d18h10m

149 cfs (rc= 0.1 )

Low boatable.

Range	Water Level	Difficulty	Comment
0 - 75 cfs	extremely Low-somewhat Low	I(II)	Record low flows!
75 - 125 cfs	somewhat Low-barely Low	I(II)	Very low.
125 - 250 cfs	barely runnable-med runnable	I-II	Low boatable.
250 - 600 cfs	med runnable-a bit pushy runnable	I-II(III)	Moderate runnable.
600 -1700 cfs	a bit pushy runnable-high runnable	I-II+(III)	High runnable flow.
1700 -9999 cfs	barely High-extremely High	II+(III)	Record high flows.

Report - Reports of Bois Brule A) CTH.B to Hwy. 2 (3.9 miles) and related gauges

Reports give the public a chance to report on river conditions throughout the country as well as log the history of a river.

Reports

No Reports Filed

News

Journal Archive Articles

River Guide: The Bois Brule

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