See all 6 routes on Cottonwood River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cottonwood River
County Road 11 to Flandrau State Park
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
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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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 County Road 11 and finish at Flandrau State Park for the lower Cottonwood reach immediately above New Ulm. The New Ulm DNR gauge was below the official scrapable floor during this run, so current conditions may require waiting for rain-fed recovery.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Cottonwood River, Co Rd 11 Public Water Access SiteMN DNR Map 4 places County Road 11 at river mile 16.8 and Flandrau State Park camping/access context from river mile 6.5 to 4.0, with a watercraft campsite at river mile 5.7.
Take-out
Cottonwood River, Flandrau State Park Public Water Access SiteMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 11 as WAS01424 and Flandrau State Park as WAS02651; the Flandrau access lists carry-in launch, parking, and restroom context.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- MN DNR Map 4 places County Road 11 at river mile 16.8 and Flandrau State Park camping/access context from river mile 6.5 to 4.0, with a watercraft campsite at river mile 5.7.
- Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 11 as WAS01424 and Flandrau State Park as WAS02651; the Flandrau access lists carry-in launch, parking, and restroom context.
- The New Ulm DNR gauge is downstream near the lower Cottonwood corridor. Use it as the closest official interpreted lower-river check, then verify depth and access footing at County Road 11 and Flandrau.
Watch for
- Scrapable low water when the New Ulm gauge is below 150 cfs, plus shallow bars and possible dragging before the park.
- Strainers, fresh wood, muddy banks, private shoreland, and fast rises after thunderstorms.
- State-park rule changes, campsite availability, high-water closures, and limited legal bailout options before the Flandrau access.
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 | Cottonwood River nr New Ulm, MN68 |
| 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 | 250 cfs to 870 cfs |
| Low threshold | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,190 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 Cottonwood River near New Ulm |
| 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.
- Route milepointsCounty Road 11 RM 16.8 to Flandrau RM 5.7
MN DNR Map 4 maps County Road 11 and the Flandrau State Park watercraft campsite / access sequence on the Cottonwood River.
- Public access recordsWAS01424 to WAS02651
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves the County Road 11 and Flandrau State Park Cottonwood River accesses with coordinates, managing authority, launch type, parking, and restroom context.
- Official DNR bands150 / 250-870 / 2,190 cfs
MN DNR interprets the New Ulm gauge as Scrapable below 150 cfs, Low from 150 to 250, Medium from 250 to 870, High from 870 to 2,190, and Very High above 2,190.
- Current gauge check122 cfs at 2026-07-23 08:00
The current MN DNR feed placed New Ulm below the official scrapable floor during this run.
- Camping postureFlandrau State Park watercraft campsite and campground
DNR Map 4 shows Flandrau State Park camping, water, toilets, and a watercraft campsite at river mile 5.7; use designated sites and current park rules only.
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
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Cottonwood River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Cottonwood River?
Paddle Today watches Cottonwood River nr New Ulm, MN68 and treats 250 cfs to 870 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Cottonwood River route start and end?
This route starts at Cottonwood River, Co Rd 11 Public Water Access Site and ends at Cottonwood River, Flandrau State Park Public Water Access Site, about About 11.1 mi on the water.
Is this Cottonwood 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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