See all 3 routes on Long Prairie River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Long Prairie River
Reynolds Township to Long Prairie
Check current paddling conditions for this Long Prairie 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 Reynolds Township and finish at the City of Long Prairie access, just above the existing Long-Prairie-to-Browerville card. The direct in-town gauge is useful, but this upper-town connector still needs low-bridge, culvert, and wood checks.
Put-in
Long Prairie River, Reynolds Township Public Water Access SiteOpen mapBoth endpoints resolve in Minnesota public-water-access GIS; use the named carry-ins instead of private farm banks.
Take-out
Long Prairie River, Long Prairie Public Water Access SiteOpen mapDNR Map Long Prairie places multiple bridges and culverts above town, so high water can create portage or clearance problems.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Both endpoints resolve in Minnesota public-water-access GIS; use the named carry-ins instead of private farm banks.
- DNR Map Long Prairie places multiple bridges and culverts above town, so high water can create portage or clearance problems.
- Low summer water can make the route slow, shallow, or intermittently impassable even when a short shuttle looks simple.
Watch for
- Low bridges, culverts, deadfall, sweepers, and tight bends above Long Prairie.
- Private banks and DNR's no-riverbed-camping-next-to-private-property rule.
- Low-water dragging in summer and faster current after rain.
Route gallery
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Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
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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 | Long Prairie River at Long Prairie, 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 | 200 cfs to 500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 53 cfs |
| High threshold | 650 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 Long Prairie River at Long Prairie |
| 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 supportReynolds Township RM 54.8 to Long Prairie RM 47.5, about 7.3 miles
MN DNR Map Long Prairie places Reynolds Township, County Road 11, and the City of Long Prairie carry-in in downstream order above the DNR recommended Long-Prairie-to-Browerville day trip.
- Public access recordsWAS02344 to WAS02429
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Reynolds Township and Long Prairie with coordinates, directions, and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands53 / 200-500 / 650 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Long Prairie gauge as Scrapable below 53 cfs, Low from 53 to 200, Medium from 200 to 500, High from 500 to 650, and Very High above 650.
- Current gauge check88.6 cfs at 2026-07-23 21:15 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Long Prairie in the official low band during this run.
- Safety and camping rulesLow bridges, culverts, private-bank limits
The DNR page and map warn that the Long Prairie can become slow and shallow, that low bridges and culverts are common above town, and that riverbed camping next to private property is not permitted.
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.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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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
Long Prairie River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Long Prairie River?
Paddle Today watches Long Prairie River at Long Prairie, MN and treats 200 cfs to 500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Long Prairie River route start and end?
This route starts at Long Prairie River, Reynolds Township Public Water Access Site and ends at Long Prairie River, Long Prairie Public Water Access Site, about About 7.3 mi on the water.
Is this Long Prairie 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.