See all 9 routes on Big Fork River
Minnesota | Northern Minnesota
Big Fork RiverHighway 6 South to Highway 6 North
Remote Koochiching State Forest day on the Big Fork, with a direct DNR gauge at the put-in and an official DNR recommended-trip listing. This is a long northern river day, not a casual park float.
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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 the southern Highway 6 carry-in near the Craigsville gauge and take out at the northern Highway 6 access. This is DNR's 15.7-mile recommended Big Fork day trip through remote Koochiching State Forest.
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
Bill Counter Landing / Highway 6 North carry-in accessThe 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
Plan a remote two-car shuttle on Highway 6. Treat the route as a full-day commitment, or use the first-come watercraft campsite about halfway through for an overnight plan.
Additional access notes
- This route is long enough that daylight, weather, and a realistic bailout plan matter more than on short metro routes.
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.
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
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 |
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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 |
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NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- 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.
- Recommended trip15.7 river miles
MN DNR recommends Highway 6 (S) carry-in access at river mile 91.5 to Highway 6 (N) carry-in access at river mile 75.8 as a long day trip or leisurely overnight through remote Koochiching State Forest.
- Public access recordsDNR access IDs WAS01794 and WAS01792
Minnesota public-water-access data identifies the put-in as Big Fork River, State Hwy 6 Bridge Public Water Access Site and the take-out as Bill Counter Landing / Big Fork River, State Hwy 6 (S) Public Water Access Site.
- Route characterRemote wooded shoreline
DNR says this trip winds through thickly wooded shoreline in remote Koochiching State Forest. The route map names Easy Half watercraft campsite at river mile 81.7, with a grassy tree-lined clearing and picnic tables.
- Gauge corroborationUSGS 05131870
USGS lists Big Fork River at CSAH 6 near Craigville at the same corridor crossing. This supports the gauge-location story, while MN DNR remains the threshold source because it publishes paddling bands.
- Low-water contextRapids may become too rocky
DNR notes that some Big Fork rapids are too rocky to run when the Highway 38 bridge gauge in Bigfork is below four feet; use that as a supplemental low-water caution even though the route uses the closer Craigsville gauge for scoring.
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
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All 9Nearby routes within 75 miles
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