See all 10 routes on Little Fork River
Minnesota | Northern Minnesota
Little Fork River
Dentaybow to Fiedler
Check current paddling conditions for this Little Fork 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 Dentaybow and take out at Fiedler for MN DNR's 13.1-mile Little Fork day trip. Expect a remote wooded river with riffles, light rapids, and a direct gauge at the MN 65 bridge upstream of the put-in.
Put-in
Dentaybow Public Water Access SiteOpen mapBoth endpoints are official public-water-access sites, but neither is a town park with built-in services.
Take-out
Fiedler Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe gauge is at the MN 65 bridge upstream of the put-in, so check the reading before driving farther into the route corridor.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Both endpoints are official public-water-access sites, but neither is a town park with built-in services.
- The gauge is at the MN 65 bridge upstream of the put-in, so check the reading before driving farther into the route corridor.
- State-forest camping exists in the broader corridor, but do not assume every pull-off is legal or practical for overnight use.
Watch for
- Class I to II rapids, rocky riffles, and scout-first drops that get more consequential when the river pushes into the high band.
- Cold water, sweepers, and remote shoreline with long stretches between easy exits.
- Scraping or boat damage risk when flows fall toward the 350 cfs scrapable floor.
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.
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 | Little Fork River nr Little Fork, MN65 |
| 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 | 700 cfs to 2,733 cfs |
| Low threshold | 350 cfs |
| High threshold | 3,777 cfs |
| 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 Little Fork River near Littlefork / MN 65 |
| 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.
- DNR bands350 / 700-2,732.9 / 3,777.3 cfs
MN DNR interprets site 294 as Scrapable below 350 cfs, Low from 350 to 700, Medium from 700 to 2,732.9, High from 2,732.9 to 3,777.3, and Very High above 3,777.3.
- Recommended trip13.1 river miles
MN DNR recommends Dentaybow to Fiedler as a full-day Little Fork trip through wooded shoreline with several rapids and good fishing access.
- Map supportDentaybow RM 57.9 to Fiedler RM 44.8
DNR Map 2 places the Dentaybow access at river mile 57.9, the Fiedler access at river mile 44.8, and the direct gauge at the MN 65 bridge just upstream at river mile 58.9.
- Camping supportState forest dispersed camping plus nearby city campground
The same DNR map notes state forest camping opportunities along the corridor and identifies Lofgren Park as a city campground farther downstream on the same map sheet.
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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Quick answers
Little Fork River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Little Fork River?
Paddle Today watches Little Fork River nr Little Fork, MN65 and treats 700 cfs to 2,733 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Little Fork River route start and end?
This route starts at Dentaybow Public Water Access Site and ends at Fiedler Public Water Access Site, about 13.1 mi on the water.
Is this Little Fork 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.