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See all 7 routes on Big Fork River

Minnesota | Northern Minnesota

Big Fork River

Highway 6 North to Johnson Landing

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

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DistanceAbout 8.3 mi
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeAbout 3 hr to 4.5 hr
ShuttleCar shuttle
A grassy Big Fork River boat launch slopes down toward a narrow river channel under a bright summer sky.
River contextBig Fork River boat-launch context farther south in Bigfork river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Tony Webster via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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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.

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

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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

On-water distanceAbout 8.3 miHighway 6 North to Johnson Landing
DifficultymoderateThe mileage is moderate, but this is a remote northern river corridor with cold water, limited exits, possible rocky Class I-II riffles, and a campsite finish rather than a developed town landing.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage Johnson Landing first, then drive back to the Highway 6 North carry-in. Confirm the Johnson landing from land before launching because public exits are sparse in this remote forest corridor.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Follow DNR water-trail, state-forest, public-access, watercraft-registration, and PFD rules at both landings and any campsite.
CampingOptions nearbyJohnson Landing has a DNR-mapped watercraft campsite and rest area at the take-out. Treat camping as designated-site only; do not assume private-bank or informal island camping between accesses.
SeasonApr-OctDNR says the Big Fork usually peaks in late April, falls through summer, and can become too rocky at low water. Heavy summer or autumn rain can raise levels quickly.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at Highway 6 North and paddle the upper part of Big Fork Map 2 to Johnson Landing. This fills the public-access gap above the existing Johnson-to-Big-Falls route without adding the downstream falls take-out consequence.

DirectionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Prepare this trip

Take the plan with you

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Start

Put-in

Big Fork River, State Hwy 6 (S) / Highway 6 North Public Water Access Site
Open map

Minnesota public-water-access GIS labels the put-in as State Hwy 6 (S), while DNR route/map copy calls it Highway 6 North; use the river-mile 75.8 record and coordinates to avoid confusing it with the upstream Highway 6 South access.

Finish

Take-out

Big Fork River, Johnson Public Water Access Site
Open map

The Craigsville gauge is upstream of the route, so check actual depth and wood at Highway 6 North before committing.

Plan this segment

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • Minnesota public-water-access GIS labels the put-in as State Hwy 6 (S), while DNR route/map copy calls it Highway 6 North; use the river-mile 75.8 record and coordinates to avoid confusing it with the upstream Highway 6 South access.
  • The Craigsville gauge is upstream of the route, so check actual depth and wood at Highway 6 North before committing.
  • Do not casually continue below Johnson toward Big Falls unless the group planned the separate full-day Johnson-to-Big-Falls route and mandatory take-out above the falls.

Watch for

  • Low-water rock, shallow riffles, and possible scraping when the upstream gauge is near the floor.
  • Strainers, fresh storm wood, cold water, private banks, and limited rescue exposure on a remote northern river.
  • Reilly Brook and Reilly Creek confluence current, beaver activity, and long gaps between public road crossings.

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.

A grassy Big Fork River boat launch slopes down toward a narrow river channel under a bright summer sky.
Big Fork River boat-launch context farther south in Bigfork river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Tony Webster via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 2.0

Score & sources

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

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.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteBig Fork River nr Craigsville, MN6
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band4.50 ft to 8.50 ft
Low threshold4.00 ft
High threshold9.50 ft
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreMN DNR river-level interpretation bands for Big Fork River near Craigsville
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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.

  • DNR map access chainHighway 6 North RM 75.8 to Johnson RM 67.5

    MN DNR Big Fork Map 2 places Highway 6 North, Reilly Brook, Reilly Creek, and Johnson Landing in downstream order, with Johnson identified as a carry-in access, rest area, and watercraft campsite.

    Source

  • Public access recordsWAS01792 to WAS02708

    Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Big Fork River State Hwy 6 (S) / Highway 6 North and Johnson public access sites with coordinates and river-mile records.

    Source

  • Official DNR bands4.0 / 4.5-8.5 / 9.5 ft

    MN DNR interprets the Craigsville / Highway 6 gauge as Scrapable below 4.0 ft, Low from 4.0 to 4.5, Medium from 4.5 to 8.5, High from 8.5 to 9.5, and Very High above 9.5.

    Source

  • Current gauge check4.76 ft at 2026-07-23 09:00 CDT

    The current MN DNR feed placed the upstream Craigsville gauge in the official medium band during this run.

    Source

  • Safety contextClass I-II context, remote banks, Big Falls downstream

    DNR says most Big Fork rapids are Class I-II, water can be too rocky below four feet at Bigfork, and Big Falls downstream is a serious portage-only falls sequence.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

Reports

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Minnesota

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More on Big Fork River

All 7
Ben Linn Landing to Ivan Crawford LandingNorthern MinnesotaModerate · 34.0 miBig Falls West to Kueffners LandingNorthern MinnesotaModerate · 22.2 miGowdy Landing to Reedy FlatsNorthern MinnesotaModerate · 33.7 miHighway 6 North to Big Falls East LandingNorthern MinnesotaModerate · About 22.8 mi

Nearby routes by distance

Little Fork RiverDentaybow to Fiedler · about 17 mi awayModerate · 13.1 miLittle Fork RiverDentaybow to Devereaux · about 17 mi awayModerate · 20.8 miLittle Fork RiverFiedler to Devereaux · about 23 mi awayModerate · 7.7 miLittle Fork RiverFiedler to Lofgren Park · about 23 mi awayModerate · 23.8 mi

Quick answers

Big Fork River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Big Fork River?

Paddle Today watches Big Fork River nr Craigsville, MN6 and treats 4.50 ft to 8.50 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 Big Fork River, State Hwy 6 (S) / Highway 6 North Public Water Access Site and ends at Big Fork River, Johnson Public Water Access Site, about About 8.3 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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