See all 5 routes on Cannon River
Minnesota | Southeast Minnesota
Cannon River
Riverside Park to Miesville Ravine County Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Cannon 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 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.
Put-in
Cannon River, Riverside Park Public Water Access SiteOpen mapRiverside 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 SiteOpen mapMiesville Ravine County Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01694 at DNR river mile 18.5.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
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
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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 | 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 |
| 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 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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More routes to check next
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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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.