See all 12 routes on Crow Wing River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Crow Wing River
Stigman's Mound to Cottingham County Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Crow Wing River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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 Stigman's Mound and finish at Cottingham for the full Nimrod-downstream county-park chain. The river is straightforward in character, but the mileage, low-water pace, and busier final miles make it a deliberate day.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
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
Stigman's Mound #7 carry-in accessWadena County says Stigman's Mound amenities are reached after landing across the river and walking over the bridge, so have the launch and parking plan clear before leaving a vehicle.
Take-out
Cottingham County Park #11 carry-in accessLittle White Dog and Knob Hill are the clearest midpoint bailout or overnight options if the group does not want to commit to the full Cottingham finish.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Wadena County says Stigman's Mound amenities are reached after landing across the river and walking over the bridge, so have the launch and parking plan clear before leaving a vehicle.
- Little White Dog and Knob Hill are the clearest midpoint bailout or overnight options if the group does not want to commit to the full Cottingham finish.
- Cottingham is a county park with heavier summer use for swimming and tubing, so expect a busier and less secluded take-out than the upstream landings.
Watch for
- Long low-water dragging and slower pacing when the Nimrod gauge is near or below 300 cfs.
- Fresh wood, strainers, and stronger current after storms.
- Tubing, swimmers, and crowded take-out conditions near Knob Hill and Cottingham on summer weekends.
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
Why this score
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 | Crow Wing River at Nimrod, MN |
| 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 | 400 cfs to 800 cfs |
| Low threshold | 300 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,100 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 Crow Wing River at Nimrod |
| 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.
- Direct same-corridor gaugeNimrod gauge 217 cfs
The official MN DNR river-level dataset reported 217 cfs at 2026-06-26 01:00 AM for Crow Wing River at Nimrod, confirming the live gauge path used for this route.
- DNR bands300 / 400-800 / 1,100 cfs
MN DNR interprets Nimrod as Scrapable below 300 cfs, Low from 300 to 400, Medium from 400 to 800, High from 800 to 1,100, and Very High above 1,100.
- Map supportStigman's 65.7 to Cottingham 49.5
Crow Wing Map 2 places Stigman's Mound at river mile 65.7 and Cottingham at 49.5, making this a 16.2-mile lower-corridor continuation.
- Public access recordsStigman's WAS02557 and Cottingham WAS01325
Minnesota public-water-access records resolve Stigman's Mound and Cottingham as official Crow Wing county-park accesses, with Little White Dog and Knob Hill between them on the same state map.
- On-route camping supportLittle White Dog and Knob Hill midpoint campgrounds
Crow Wing Map 2 lists primitive campsites, water, and camping fees at Little White Dog, Knob Hill, and Cottingham, giving this longer route documented overnight or bailout support in the middle and at the finish.
- Downstream recreation supportTubing and swimming near the final miles
Wadena County describes Knob Hill as a popular tubing put-in and Cottingham as a popular park for picnicking and swimming, which matches the busier downstream recreation zone on this 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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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Crow Wing River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Crow Wing River?
Paddle Today watches Crow Wing River at Nimrod, MN and treats 400 cfs to 800 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Crow Wing River route start and end?
This route starts at Stigman's Mound #7 carry-in access and ends at Cottingham County Park #11 carry-in access, about 16.2 mi on the water.
Is this Crow Wing 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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