See all 5 routes on Cannon River
Minnesota | Southeast Minnesota
Cannon River
Riverside Park to Miesville Ravine County Park
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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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.
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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
Launch at Cannon Falls Riverside Park and take out at Miesville Ravine County Park for a short lower-Cannon public-access day. The downstream Welch DNR gauge was in the official medium band during this run, but wood, riffles, and private banks still need same-day judgment.
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
Cannon River, Riverside Park Public Water Access SiteRiverside Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01692 at DNR river mile 25.5.
Take-out
Cannon River, Miesville Ravine County Park Public Water Access SiteMiesville Ravine County Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01694 at DNR river mile 18.5.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Riverside Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01692 at DNR river mile 25.5.
- Miesville Ravine County Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01694 at DNR river mile 18.5.
- Welch is downstream of this pair. Use the official bands as lower-Cannon context and confirm local depth at launch.
Watch for
- Strainers, downed trees, bridge current, shallow riffles, cold water, and faster current after rain.
- Private banks and limited legal stopping options outside the public park accesses.
- Wind and fatigue are minor compared with wood and current, but still matter for novice groups.
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 | Cannon River at Welch, MN |
| 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 |
| Target band | 300 cfs to 1,540 cfs |
| Low threshold | 231 cfs |
| High threshold | 3,000 cfs |
| 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 Cannon River at Welch |
| 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.
- Public access recordsRiverside Park RM 25.5 to Miesville RM 18.5
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves both Cannon Falls Riverside Park and Miesville Ravine County Park as public Cannon River access sites with coordinates and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands231 / 300-1540 / 3000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Welch gauge as Scrapable below 231 cfs, Low from 231 to 300, Medium from 300 to 1540, High from 1540 to 3000, and Very High above 3000.
- Current gauge check1,070 cfs at 2026-07-23 05:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed the Welch gauge in the official medium band during this run.
- Route contextLower Cannon water-trail access chain
MN DNR Cannon River map materials document the lower Cannon public-access corridor, private-property cautions, rapids/riffles, and the Welch interpreted gauge.
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.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Cannon River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cannon River?
Paddle Today watches Cannon River at Welch, MN and treats 300 cfs to 1,540 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Cannon River route start and end?
This route starts at Cannon River, Riverside Park Public Water Access Site and ends at Cannon River, Miesville Ravine County Park Public Water Access Site, about About 6.9 mi on the water.
Is this Cannon River route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.