See all 6 routes on Cottonwood River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Cottonwood River
Highway 15 Access to Courtland 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.
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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 Highway 15 in New Ulm, paddle the final lower Cottonwood mile to the Minnesota River, and finish at Courtland. The New Ulm DNR gauge is just upstream and currently reads low, so same-day depth and wind checks matter.
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
Highway 15 / Cottonwood Street Bridge public water accessHighway 15 resolves as DNR access WAS01419 at Cottonwood river mile 1.6, and Courtland resolves as DNR access WAS00794 on the Minnesota River at river mile 128.0.
Take-out
Minnesota River, Courtland public water accessThe selected gauge is upstream of the put-in, not on the Minnesota River finish; use it as a near-put-in Cottonwood check and inspect the Courtland take-out separately.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Highway 15 resolves as DNR access WAS01419 at Cottonwood river mile 1.6, and Courtland resolves as DNR access WAS00794 on the Minnesota River at river mile 128.0.
- The selected gauge is upstream of the put-in, not on the Minnesota River finish; use it as a near-put-in Cottonwood check and inspect the Courtland take-out separately.
- The route changes character at the Cottonwood-Minnesota confluence. Do not count on informal confluence banks or private land for bailout.
Watch for
- Low-water scraping and possible dragging while the New Ulm gauge is below the official medium band.
- Confluence current, floating debris, muddy banks, and wind on the broader Minnesota River finish.
- Snags, strainers, undercut banks, agricultural debris, private shoreland, and fast rises after rain.
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.
- Map sequenceHighway 15 RM 1.6 to Cottonwood confluence RM 0.0
MN DNR Minnesota River Map 4 includes the Cottonwood River and places Highway 15 at river mile 1.6, a railroad bridge at river mile 1.0, and the Minnesota River confluence at river mile 0.0.
- Public access recordsWAS01419 to WAS00794
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves the Highway 15 / Cottonwood Street Bridge access and the Courtland Minnesota River access with DNR administration, coordinates, and river-mile records.
- 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 check243 cfs at 2026-07-16 18:00
The current MN DNR feed placed New Ulm in the official low band during this run, just below the medium floor.
- Camping postureDay route, no selected river campsite
DNR Map 4 shows Flandrau camping upstream of Highway 15, but this selected connector does not rely on an on-route campsite and should be treated as a day route.
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 Highway 15 / Cottonwood Street Bridge public water access and ends at Minnesota River, Courtland public water access, about About 10 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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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.