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Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Minnesota RiverLe Sueur to Henderson
Short DNR-recommended lower Minnesota River day trip from Le Sueur to Henderson, with official public access records, a direct Henderson interpreted gauge, and endpoint watercraft-campsite context.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Paddle the short DNR-recommended Le Sueur-to-Henderson Minnesota River section with the direct Henderson interpreted gauge. The reach is generally gentle and wide, but wind, floodplain current, floating debris, and private banks require conservative go/no-go judgment.
Access map
Put-in
Le Sueur public accessMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Le Sueur, Henderson Station, and Henderson with river-mile records and coordinates.
Take-out
Henderson public accessThe Henderson gauge is at the take-out, so high or rising readings should be treated as route-local warnings.
Road shuttle
Stage at Henderson, then launch from Le Sueur. Henderson Station is a useful final-mile landmark, but the planned take-out is the Henderson trailer access by the DNR gauge.
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Access planner
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Le Sueur public access to Henderson public access is about 7.1 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- DNR says designated campsites only; do not treat exposed bars by private property as legal camps.
More route and safety guidance
- Use the Le Sueur and Henderson public accesses for the shuttle. Henderson Station can help orient the final mile, but do not assume private-bank exits between mapped accesses.
- DNR permits only designated-site camping and warns against riverbed camping next to private property. Treat Le Sueur campsite use as permit-dependent endpoint support, not free dispersed camping.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Detailed weather
Weather
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Tomorrow and the weekend
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Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Minnesota River at Henderson, MN19 |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 |
| Preferred range | 710.00 ft to 725.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 675.00 ft |
| High threshold | 728.00 ft |
| 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 Minnesota River at Henderson |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- DNR recommended one-way7.1 mi, Le Sueur to Henderson
MN DNR lists Minnesota River LeSueur Trailer Access to Henderson Trailer Access as a recommended one-way paddle.
- Public access recordsWAS02350 to WAS00793
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Le Sueur, Henderson Station, and Henderson public access sites with coordinates and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands675 / 710-725 / 728 ft
MN DNR interprets the Henderson gauge as Scrapable below 675 ft, Low from 675 to 710, Medium from 710 to 725, High from 725 to 728, and Very High above 728.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-23715.87 ft at 2026-07-23 10:30 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Camping and river characterLe Sueur watercraft campsite; gentle widened river
DNR Map 5 shows Le Sueur with a watercraft campsite requiring a permit and describes the Le Sueur-to-Henderson section as an easier stretch where the river widens and exposes sandbars at medium and low levels.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Minnesota River
All 19Nearby routes within 75 miles
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