See all 4 routes on Cloquet River
Minnesota | Duluth Area
Cloquet River
Bachelor Road to Highway 53 Wayside
Check current paddling conditions for this Cloquet 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 Bachelor Road and take out at the Highway 53 wayside for the middle lower-Cloquet connector. The downstream Burnett gauge is the official interpreted screen, but same-day depth, dam releases, and visible rock at Bachelor Road still decide marginal days.
Put-in
Cloquet River, Bachelor Road Public Water Access SiteOpen mapBachelor Road resolves as WAS01627 at river mile 20.5; Highway 53 Wayside Rest resolves as WAS02744 at river mile 10.2 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
Take-out
Cloquet River, Highway 53 Wayside Rest Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe Burnett gauge is downstream of this route near Highway 7, so it is a conservative corridor proxy rather than an exact route gauge.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Bachelor Road resolves as WAS01627 at river mile 20.5; Highway 53 Wayside Rest resolves as WAS02744 at river mile 10.2 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
- The Burnett gauge is downstream of this route near Highway 7, so it is a conservative corridor proxy rather than an exact route gauge.
- This card ends at Highway 53. Any continuation toward Burnett or Highway 7 needs a separate downstream route plan.
Watch for
- Repeated Class I rapid reaches, shallow rock, and possible scraping when Burnett is in the official low band.
- Dam-release changes from Island Lake, fast rises after rain, fresh strainers, bridge approaches, cold water, and private banks.
- No casual continuation below Highway 53 unless the group deliberately chooses a downstream plan and conditions fit.
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 | Cloquet River nr Burnett, CR694 |
| 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 | 500 cfs to 2,200 cfs |
| Low threshold | 140 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,500 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 Cloquet River near Burnett |
| 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.
- Official map sequenceBachelor Road river mile 20.5 to Highway 53 river mile 10.2
MN DNR Cloquet Map 1 places Bachelor Road trailer access, several Class I rapid reaches, watercraft campsites, and the Highway 53 wayside carry-in access in order.
- Public access recordsWAS01627 to WAS02744
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Bachelor Road and Highway 53 Wayside Rest with coordinates, administrators, and river miles.
- DNR bands139.6 / 500-2,200 / 2,500 cfs
MN DNR interprets the downstream Burnett gauge as Scrapable below 139.6 cfs, Low from 139.6 to 500, Medium from 500 to 2,200, High from 2,200 to 2,500, and Very High above 2,500.
- Current gauge check215 cfs at 2026-07-23 12:15 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Burnett in the official low band during this run, so shallow rock and scraping are likely.
- Camping contextDesignated watercraft campsites only
DNR Map 1 identifies MCC, Old Mule, and Three Island watercraft campsites between Bachelor Road and Highway 53; riverbed camping next to private property is not permitted.
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
Cloquet River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cloquet River?
Paddle Today watches Cloquet River nr Burnett, CR694 and treats 500 cfs to 2,200 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Cloquet River route start and end?
This route starts at Cloquet River, Bachelor Road Public Water Access Site and ends at Cloquet River, Highway 53 Wayside Rest Public Water Access Site, about About 10.3 mi on the water.
Is this Cloquet River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.