Minnesota | Beaver Bay
Beaver River
Lax Lake Road / County Road 4 to Highway 61
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
Loading the route coverage map.
Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
A very short but severe expert creek run where scouting and access verification dominate the day.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Lax Lake Road / County Road 4 bridge carry-inBoth endpoints are bridge carries rather than confirmed developed launches.
Take-out
Highway 61 bridge take-outDo not block County Road 4 or Highway 61 shoulders, gates, or emergency access.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Both endpoints are bridge carries rather than confirmed developed launches.
- Do not block County Road 4 or Highway 61 shoulders, gates, or emergency access.
Watch for
- large slides
- powerful holes
- potholes
- new wood
- the Highway 61 exit
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Beaver River near Beaver Bay, 1.2 mi upstream of MN 61 |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | Not calibrated yet |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Partial source data |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Direct DNR telemetry; runnable band not yet published |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Reach and difficulty1.8 miles; Class IV-V+
American Whitewater documents the County Road 4 start, large slides and holes, in-reach gauge, and Highway 61 take-out.
- Direct telemetryDNR 02006003 inside the reach
The active DNR station is about 0.6 mile below the put-in and reports both stage and discharge.
- Threshold limitationRunnable levels unknown
American Whitewater explicitly says it has no familiarity with runnable levels; this route therefore retains incomplete thresholds and conservative planning status.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Beaver River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Beaver River?
Paddle Today watches Beaver River near Beaver Bay, 1.2 mi upstream of MN 61 and uses Not calibrated yet as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Beaver River route start and end?
This route starts at Lax Lake Road / County Road 4 bridge carry-in and ends at Highway 61 bridge take-out, about About 1.8 mi on the water.
Is this Beaver River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.