See all 25 routes on Cedar River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cedar River
Ramsey Mill Pond to Austin 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
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
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 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.
Put-in
Cedar River, Ramsey Mill Pond Public Water Access SiteOpen mapRamsey 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 SiteOpen mapAustin Mill Pond resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01390 at DNR river mile 17.5.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
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.
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Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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.
- 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
Share your trip
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.