See all 7 routes on Big Fork River
Minnesota | Northern Minnesota
Big Fork River
Ben Linn Landing to Ivan Crawford Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Big Fork River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Ben Linn and finish at Ivan Crawford for a full lower Big Fork continuation. It starts with the rapid stretch, then turns into a committed lower-corridor run where distance and sparse exits dominate the day.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Put-in
Ben Linn Public Water Access SiteOpen mapKueffners is the last named campsite-and-toilet checkpoint before the final push to Ivan Crawford and should be treated as a real decision point if weather or light deteriorates.
Take-out
Ivan Crawford Public Water Access SiteOpen mapIvan Crawford is the intended finish before the final Reedy Flats / Rainy River approach; do not treat it as a casual optional stop if you keep drifting.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Kueffners is the last named campsite-and-toilet checkpoint before the final push to Ivan Crawford and should be treated as a real decision point if weather or light deteriorates.
- Ivan Crawford is the intended finish before the final Reedy Flats / Rainy River approach; do not treat it as a casual optional stop if you keep drifting.
- Use only the named public accesses and campsites because surrounding shoreline remains private or undeveloped.
Watch for
- The mapped Class I rapid stretch between river miles 41.3 and 39.8 near the start of the route.
- Long-day fatigue, cold shoulder-season water, and broad exposed bends on the lower corridor.
- Fresh storm wood, undercut outside bends, and slow travel when the Big Falls gauge falls toward the 1.5 ft floor.
Route gallery
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Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Big Fork River at Big Falls, MN |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 |
| Target band | 2.80 ft to 4.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 1.50 ft |
| High threshold | 6.00 ft |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | MN DNR river-level interpretation bands for Big Fork River at Big Falls |
| 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.
- Direct live gaugeBig Falls gauge 2.82 ft
The official MN DNR river-level dataset reported 2.82 ft at 2026-07-03 08:00 AM for Big Fork River at Big Falls, confirming the current same-river gauge path used for this route.
- DNR bands1.5 / 2.8-4.5 / 6.0 ft
MN DNR interprets the Big Falls gauge as Scrapable below 1.5 ft, Low from 1.5 to 2.8, Medium from 2.8 to 4.5, High from 4.5 to 6.0, and Very High above 6.0.
- Map supportBen Linn RM 43.0 to Ivan Crawford RM 9.0
DNR Map 2 places Ben Linn Landing at river mile 43.0, Gowdy at 34.2, Kueffners at 30.4, and Ivan Crawford at 9.0, supporting a 34.0-mile lower continuation.
- Rapid supportClass I rapids at RM 41.3-39.8
The DNR map marks a Class I rapid stretch between river miles 41.3 and 39.8 near the start of this route.
- Public access recordsBen Linn WAS01796 and Ivan Crawford WAS02705
Minnesota public-water-access data resolves Ben Linn on river right and Ivan Crawford on river right with matching water-trail river miles in the official access layer.
- Camping supportBen Linn, Gowdy, and Kueffners campsites
The DNR map says Ben Linn and Gowdy have watercraft campsites and that Kueffners adds toilets plus another campsite, giving this route real overnight structure before the simpler Ivan Crawford finish.
- Route characterVery long lower corridor after Kueffners
DNR Map 2 shows only Ivan Crawford below Kueffners before the final Reedy Flats finish, which makes this route a committed full-lower-corridor run rather than a sequence of short public hops.
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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Big Fork River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Big Fork River?
Paddle Today watches Big Fork River at Big Falls, MN and treats 2.80 ft to 4.50 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Big Fork River route start and end?
This route starts at Ben Linn Public Water Access Site and ends at Ivan Crawford Public Water Access Site, about 34.0 mi on the water.
Is this Big Fork River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.