See all 25 routes on Cedar River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cedar River
Lansing / County Road 2 to Ramsey Mill Pond
Check current paddling conditions for this Cedar 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 near the Lansing / County Road 2 DNR gauge and take out at Ramsey Mill Pond for the short upper-Cedar approach to the existing Ramsey-to-Austin route. The Lansing gauge is direct and was in the official medium band during this run.
Put-in
Lansing / County Road 2 bridge gauge accessOpen mapThe Lansing put-in is anchored to the DNR river-level gauge and County Road 2 bridge at river mile 25.0, not to a public-water-access-layer record. Confirm same-day legal launch and parking before using it.
Take-out
Cedar River, Ramsey Mill Pond Public Water Access SiteOpen mapRamsey Mill Pond resolves as DNR access WAS01376 at river mile 21.2 with public-water-access coordinates.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Lansing put-in is anchored to the DNR river-level gauge and County Road 2 bridge at river mile 25.0, not to a public-water-access-layer record. Confirm same-day legal launch and parking before using it.
- Ramsey Mill Pond resolves as DNR access WAS01376 at river mile 21.2 with public-water-access coordinates.
- Take out at Ramsey above the low-head dam unless you have separately planned the Ramsey-to-Austin route and portage/dam context.
Watch for
- The Ramsey Mill Pond low-head dam and portage context; this route ends before the dam.
- Snags, overhanging trees, shallow spots, private banks, and occasional flood conditions.
- Fast rises after rain and low-water scraping as the Lansing gauge falls toward the official low and scrapable bands.
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 | Cedar River nr Lansing, CR2 |
| 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 | 15 cfs to 430 cfs |
| Low threshold | 9 cfs |
| High threshold | 513 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 Cedar River near Lansing |
| 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.
- Map sequenceCounty Road 2 RM 25.0 to Ramsey RM 21.2
MN DNR Cedar River map places the Lansing / County Road 2 bridge and river-level gauge at river mile 25.0, Ramsey Mill Pond at river mile 22.0, and the Ramsey trailer/carry-in access and low-head dam at river mile 21.2.
- Public access recordRamsey Mill Pond WAS01376
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Ramsey Mill Pond as a DNR-administered Cedar River access at river mile 21.2 with source-backed coordinates.
- Official DNR bands8.9 / 15.2-429.5 / 513.4 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Lansing gauge as Scrapable below 8.9 cfs, Low from 8.9 to 15.2, Medium from 15.2 to 429.5, High from 429.5 to 513.4, and Very High above 513.4.
- Current gauge check45 cfs at 2026-07-16 18:30
The current MN DNR feed placed Lansing inside the official medium band during this run.
- Safety contextDam, snags, beginner flow
DNR says the Cedar has moderate flow and no major rapids, but warns paddlers to know dam locations and watch for flooding, snags, and overhanging trees.
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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Quick answers
Cedar River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cedar River?
Paddle Today watches Cedar River nr Lansing, CR2 and treats 15 cfs to 430 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Cedar River route start and end?
This route starts at Lansing / County Road 2 bridge gauge access and ends at Cedar River, Ramsey Mill Pond Public Water Access Site, about About 3.8 mi on the water.
Is this Cedar 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.