See all 4 routes on Cloquet River
Minnesota | Duluth Area
Cloquet River
Bear Lake Road to Island Lake
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 Bear Lake Road and paddle the lower half of the official DNR Indian Lake-to-Island Lake corridor. The upstream Brimson gauge was in the official low band during this run, so shallow rock and slower travel are likely.
Put-in
Cloquet River, Severson Landing / Bear Lake Road Public Water Access SiteOpen mapSeverson Landing / Bear Lake Road resolves as WAS01633 at DNR river mile 61.5.
Take-out
Island Lake, Minnesota Power (N) Public Water Access SiteOpen mapIsland Lake Minnesota Power North resolves as WAS02579 at DNR river mile 35.0; downstream Abbot Road and dam-site accesses require additional open-water routing.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Severson Landing / Bear Lake Road resolves as WAS01633 at DNR river mile 61.5.
- Island Lake Minnesota Power North resolves as WAS02579 at DNR river mile 35.0; downstream Abbot Road and dam-site accesses require additional open-water routing.
- The Brimson gauge is upstream on the same DNR Map 2 corridor and should be paired with local visual checks at Bear Lake Road.
Watch for
- Class I-II rapids, portage or scouting decisions, exposed rocks, shallow riffles, and wood at low Brimson stages.
- Fast rises after rain, fresh blowdown, cold water, remote shoreline, and limited road access between landings.
- Open-water wind, boat traffic, and navigation exposure on Island Lake near the finish.
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 near Brimson, CSAH44 |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 1487.00 ft to 1489.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 1485.00 ft |
| High threshold | 1491.00 ft |
| 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 Brimson |
| 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 route corridorBear Lake Road RM 61.5 to Island Lake RM 35.0
MN DNR Map 2 describes the broader Indian Lake-to-Island Lake trip as a remote 35-mile route, identifies about ten Class I-II rapids, watercraft campsites, and an Island Lake finish.
- Public access recordsWAS01633 to WAS02579
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Severson Landing / Bear Lake Road and Island Lake Minnesota Power (N) with coordinates, river miles, and public access records.
- Official DNR bands1485 / 1487-1489.5 / 1491 ft
MN DNR interprets the Brimson gauge as Scrapable below 1485 ft, Low from 1485 to 1487, Medium from 1487 to 1489.5, High from 1489.5 to 1491, and Very High above 1491.
- Current gauge check1486.03 ft at 2026-07-24 04:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Brimson in the official low band during this run, below the preferred medium band.
- Camping and safety contextPrimitive campsites; remote Class I-II corridor
DNR Map 2 and the Cloquet segments page identify primitive watercraft campsites, remote access spacing, fast-rise behavior, rocky low-water hazards, and Class I-II rapid character.
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 near Brimson, CSAH44 and treats 1487.00 ft to 1489.50 ft 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, Severson Landing / Bear Lake Road Public Water Access Site and ends at Island Lake, Minnesota Power (N) Public Water Access Site, about About 26.5 mi on the water.
Is this Cloquet River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.