See all 10 routes on Little Fork River
Minnesota | Northern Minnesota
Little Fork River
Highway 73 Bridge to Silverdale
Check current paddling conditions for this Little Fork River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
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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 the Highway 73 bridge and continue past Samuelson to finish at Silverdale for one of the longest official Little Fork corridor options currently in the app. This is a remote northern run with repeated rapids and a useful named bailout at Samuelson Park.
Put-in
Highway 73 bridge carry-in accessOpen mapSamuelson Park is the best intermediate bailout and should be treated as a real decision point, not just a landmark.
Take-out
Silverdale Public Water Access SiteOpen mapSilverdale is a simpler public access finish than Samuelson, so do not expect campground services at the take-out.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Samuelson Park is the best intermediate bailout and should be treated as a real decision point, not just a landmark.
- Silverdale is a simpler public access finish than Samuelson, so do not expect campground services at the take-out.
- Long mileage plus rural roads make the shuttle more consequential than the access names alone suggest.
Watch for
- Class I to II rapids, rocky riffles, and fatigue stacking across nearly 27 river miles.
- Scraping, boat-banging, and slower-than-expected travel when the Silverdale gauge is below the 400 cfs floor.
- Cold water, sweepers, and route-length commitment in a corridor with limited quick roadside exits.
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 Silverdale, 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 | 500 cfs to 1,301 cfs |
| Low threshold | 400 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,835 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 Silverdale / 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 bands400 / 500-1,300.5 / 2,835 cfs
MN DNR interprets site 295 as Scrapable below 400 cfs, Low from 400 to 500, Medium from 500 to 1,300.5, High from 1,300.5 to 2,835, and Very High above 2,835.
- Map supportHighway 73 RM 126.8 to Silverdale RM 99.9
DNR Map 1 places the Highway 73 bridge at river mile 126.8, and Minnesota public-water-access data resolves the Silverdale access at river mile 99.9 on the same corridor below Samuelson Park.
- Access evidenceSamuelson WAS00502 and Silverdale WAS03037
Minnesota public-water-access data resolves both Samuelson Park and Silverdale on the downstream continuation, giving this route an official intermediate bailout plus a named public take-out.
- Camping supportSamuelson County Park tent sites on route
DNR Map 1 says Samuelson County Park has drinking water and tent sites, giving this longer route real on-route campground support even though the planned take-out is the simpler Silverdale access.
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
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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 Silverdale, MN65 and treats 500 cfs to 1,301 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 Highway 73 bridge carry-in access and ends at Silverdale Public Water Access Site, about 26.9 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.
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