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Minnesota | Upper Minnesota River Valley
Minnesota River
Highway 4 Access to Harkin Store
Check current paddling conditions for this Minnesota 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 Highway 4 and take out at Harkin Store for a Map 4 public-access connector below the existing Morton-to-Highway-4 card. The Morton gauge is an upstream same-map proxy, so visual landing checks matter.
Put-in
Minnesota River, Highway 4 Public Water Access SiteOpen mapHighway 4 resolves as WAS00644 at GIS river mile 163.3, and Harkin Store resolves as WAS02302 at GIS river mile 152.0.
Take-out
Minnesota River, Harkin Store Public Water Access SiteOpen mapDNR Map 4 documents the larger Highway-4-to-Buessman corridor; Harkin Store is supported by the official public-access GIS, not by the recommended-one-way PDF.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Highway 4 resolves as WAS00644 at GIS river mile 163.3, and Harkin Store resolves as WAS02302 at GIS river mile 152.0.
- DNR Map 4 documents the larger Highway-4-to-Buessman corridor; Harkin Store is supported by the official public-access GIS, not by the recommended-one-way PDF.
- Do not rely on private banks, farm lanes, sandbars, or wildlife-management-area frontage for bailout or camping.
Watch for
- Wind on broad bends, muddy banks, floating wood, debris, and strainers after rain.
- Low-water shoals and slow bends if the Morton gauge falls toward the official scrapable band.
- Limited legal exits between access points and rural rescue spacing.
Route gallery
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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 | Minnesota River at Morton, MN19 |
| 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 | 1,330 cfs to 3,750 cfs |
| Low threshold | 307 cfs |
| High threshold | 10,900 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 Minnesota River at Morton |
| 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 corridor mapHighway 4 RM 163.6 downstream toward Buessman RM 143.3
MN DNR Map 4 lists the Highway 4 trailer access and bridge, Minnriver Wildlife Management Area, tributary confluences, 250th Avenue bridge, Boesch WMA, River Valley WMA, and Buessman Bridge downstream of this selected split.
- Public access recordsWAS00644 to WAS02302
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves the Highway 4 access and the Harkin Store public access with coordinates, administrators, directions, and river-mile fields.
- Official DNR bands307 / 1,330-3,750 / 10,900 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Morton gauge as Scrapable below 307 cfs, Low from 307 to 1,330, Medium from 1,330 to 3,750, High from 3,750 to 10,900, and Very High above 10,900.
- Current gauge check1,900 cfs at 2026-07-16 21:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Morton inside the official medium band during this run.
- Safety rulesPrivate shoreland and designated stops
DNR Map 4 warns that river levels affect safety, paddlers should avoid overhanging and dead trees, and 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
Minnesota River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Minnesota River?
Paddle Today watches Minnesota River at Morton, MN19 and treats 1,330 cfs to 3,750 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Minnesota River route start and end?
This route starts at Minnesota River, Highway 4 Public Water Access Site and ends at Minnesota River, Harkin Store Public Water Access Site, about About 11.3 mi on the water.
Is this Minnesota 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.