See all 9 routes on Big Fork River
Minnesota | Northern Minnesota
Big Fork RiverHighway 6 South to Johnson Landing
Long Big Fork itinerary joining the two Highway 6 accesses to Johnson Landing, with the current Craigsville DNR gauge at the put-in.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Highway 6 South and continue through the Highway 6 North access to Johnson Landing on a gauge-at-put-in Big Fork itinerary.
Access map
Put-in
Highway 6 South / State Hwy 6 Bridge carry-in accessBoth endpoints are official public-water-access sites, but they are remote carry-in landings with limited services.
Take-out
Big Fork River, Johnson Public Water Access SiteThe DNR access layer labels the upstream put-in as State Hwy 6 Bridge and the downstream take-out as State Hwy 6 (S), while the DNR route page uses Highway 6 (S) to Highway 6 (N). Use river miles and coordinates to avoid confusion.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out before launching. This combined route joins the researched big-fork-river-highway-6-south-north and big-fork-river-highway-6-north-johnson access corridors and requires a longer rural shuttle.
Additional access notes
- This route is long enough that daylight, weather, and a realistic bailout plan matter more than on short metro routes.
- 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.
More route and safety guidance
- Treat the 15.7-mile DNR day trip as a full-day commitment with a realistic weather, daylight, shuttle, and bailout plan; public exits are sparse between the two Highway 6 carry-in accesses.
- Expect Class I-II rapids, sweepers, beaver-dam potential, and cold water. Carry appropriate rescue and immersion gear, and do not continue into the separate Little American Falls or Big Falls sections without dedicated portage planning.
- This longer combined itinerary requires an early start, a staged shuttle, and a conservative turnaround decision even when the direct gauge is in range.
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Photos and recent reports
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Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Big Fork River nr Craigsville, MN6 |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
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| Preferred range | 4.50 ft to 8.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 4.00 ft |
| High threshold | 9.50 ft |
| Evidence strength 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 near Craigsville |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Qualifying gauge relationshipBig Fork River nr Craigsville, MN6
DNR site 281 is located at the Highway 6 South put-in, so the route begins at its direct interpreted gauge.
- Public-access continuityHighway 6 South to Johnson Landing
The route joins adjacent researched segments whose shared endpoint coordinates and official public-access records match.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Big Fork River
All 9Nearby routes within 75 miles
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