See all 29 routes on Cedar River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cedar River
Ramsey Mill Pond to Austin Mill Pond
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.
Loading today's forecast.
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 Ramsey Mill Pond and take out at Austin Mill Pond for the short Cedar River connector above the existing Riverwood-to-State-Line card. Dam boundaries, snags, and the upstream Lansing proxy gauge are the main planning caveats.
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
Cedar River, Ramsey Mill Pond Public Water Access SiteRamsey Mill Pond resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01376 at DNR river mile 21.2.
Take-out
Austin Mill Pond Public Water Access SiteAustin Mill Pond resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01390 at DNR river mile 17.5.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Ramsey Mill Pond resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01376 at DNR river mile 21.2.
- Austin Mill Pond resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01390 at DNR river mile 17.5.
- The Lansing gauge is upstream of the route. Pair it with local visual checks and avoid extending through dam or mill-pond structures unless separately planned.
Watch for
- Low-head dam and mill-pond boundary hazards at the route edges.
- Snags, overhanging trees, bridge current, urban debris, private banks, and fast rises after rain.
- Low-water scraping or dragging when the Lansing gauge falls toward the official low and scrapable bands.
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 | 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 |
| 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 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.
- Public access recordsRamsey RM 21.2 to Austin Mill Pond RM 17.5
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Ramsey Mill Pond and Austin Mill Pond as public Cedar River access sites with coordinates and river-mile records.
- 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 check69.8 cfs at 2026-07-23 05:30 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed the upstream Lansing gauge in the official medium band during this run.
- Route contextCedar River map access chain
MN DNR Cedar River map materials document the Austin-area access chain, dam/portage context, snags, overhanging trees, and flood-condition cautions.
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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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 Cedar River, Ramsey Mill Pond Public Water Access Site and ends at Austin Mill Pond Public Water Access Site, about About 3.7 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.