Kayaking the Upper Iowa River - Bluffton Access to Malanaphy Springs in Decorah, IA - Sept 2024

Put-in at the Lower Bluffton Canoe Access in Decorah, IA near the intersections of Bluffton Road and 244th Avenue. Take-out at Malanaphy Springs State Reserve in Decorah, IA. The put-in has a gravel parking lot, signage, and a low shoreline for launching. The take-out has a paved parking area and worn path down to the river with a decent rocky shoreline. The trip was about 8 ¼ miles and took us about 2 ¾ hours at a very leisurely pace.
Put-in: maps.app.goo.g...
Take-out: maps.app.goo.g...
The water level for this trip was 3.15’ or 150 CFS at the Bluffton Bridge in Decorah, IA. This was a decent nice water level with moderate amounts of scraping and plenty of water to clear obstructions in the river. I got hung up a few times in my kayak but never had to get out; I had to take my paddles apart and use them like crutches to pull myself out of the shallows. The water quality was excellent with a nice current across the entire trip. There were a ton of fish in the river of various types which add to the trip, from a few fish here and there to very large schools of fish; they definitely added to the excitement of being on the river.
USGA gauge level for the Upper Iowa River at the Bluffton Bridge in Decorah, IA:
waterdata.usgs...