See all 6 routes on Cottonwood River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cottonwood River
Flandrau State Park to Highway 15 Access
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 Flandrau State Park and finish at Highway 15 for the short lower Cottonwood connector above the confluence route. The New Ulm DNR gauge was below the official scrapable floor during review, so this card should wait for recovered levels.
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
Cottonwood River, Flandrau State Park Public Water Access SiteFlandrau State Park resolves as WAS02651 near the DNR-mapped watercraft campsite and park facilities.
Take-out
Highway 15 / Cottonwood Street Bridge public water accessHighway 15 / Cottonwood Street Bridge resolves as WAS01419 at Cottonwood river mile 1.6.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Flandrau State Park resolves as WAS02651 near the DNR-mapped watercraft campsite and park facilities.
- Highway 15 / Cottonwood Street Bridge resolves as WAS01419 at Cottonwood river mile 1.6.
- This route stops before the Cottonwood-Minnesota confluence. Continuing to Courtland requires the separate downstream route plan.
Watch for
- Scrapable low water when the New Ulm gauge is below 150 cfs.
- Strainers, fresh wood, muddy banks, private shoreland, and fast rises after thunderstorms.
- State-park rule changes, high-water closures, city bridge approaches, and limited legal bailout options.
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 milepointsFlandrau RM 5.7 to Highway 15 RM 1.6
MN DNR Map 4 maps Flandrau State Park camping/access context and the Highway 15 access sequence on the lower Cottonwood River.
- Public access recordsWAS02651 to WAS01419
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Flandrau State Park and Highway 15 / Cottonwood Street Bridge with official names, coordinates, and river-mile 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 check113 cfs at 2026-07-24 06:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed New Ulm below the official scrapable floor during this run.
- Camping postureEndpoint state-park campground
DNR Map 4 shows Flandrau State Park camping, water, toilets, and a watercraft campsite near the route start; 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
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
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, Flandrau State Park Public Water Access Site and ends at Highway 15 / Cottonwood Street Bridge public water access, about About 4.1 mi on the water.
Is this Cottonwood 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
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.