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Minnesota | Mississippi Headwaters
Mississippi River
Bear Den to Iron Bridge
Check current paddling conditions for this Mississippi River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
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 Bear Den and take out at Iron Bridge for the lower Map 1 headwaters connector to the Wilton DNR gauge. This is mostly easy water, but wetland vegetation, wood, private banks, and the mandatory bridge take-out still matter.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Bear Den Public Water Access SiteOpen mapBear Den and Iron Bridge are DNR-administered public accesses in the Minnesota public-water-access layer.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Iron Bridge Public Water Access SiteOpen mapPine Point is a mapped intermediate carry-in/campsite access, but use it only if current signs, landing condition, and site availability are clear.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Bear Den and Iron Bridge are DNR-administered public accesses in the Minnesota public-water-access layer.
- Pine Point is a mapped intermediate carry-in/campsite access, but use it only if current signs, landing condition, and site availability are clear.
- Iron Bridge is the planned finish at the gauge. Do not turn this into a lake-transition or Bemidji route without separate route review.
Watch for
- Aquatic vegetation obstructions from the lower wetland reach into Iron Bridge.
- Fresh strainers, cold water, bridge current, and private shoreland outside named public access or campsite areas.
- High water above the official Wilton medium band, when landing and wood avoidance become less forgiving.
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.
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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 | Mississippi River near Wilton, CSAH7 |
| 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 |
| Target band | 40.00 ft to 42.50 ft |
| Low threshold | 39.10 ft |
| High threshold | 45.00 ft |
| 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 Mississippi River near Wilton |
| 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.
- Official map routeBear Den RM 1311.4 to Iron Bridge RM 1300.6, 10.8 miles
MN DNR Map 1 labels Bear Den, Fox Trap campsite, Pine Point carry-in and campsite, the wetland caution area, Iron Bridge campsite, Iron Bridge access, and the river-level gauge.
- Public access recordsWAS02254 to WAS00519
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Bear Den and Iron Bridge as DNR-administered public accesses with launch data, parking, coordinates, directions, and river miles.
- Official DNR bands39.1 / 40.0-42.5 / 45.0 ft
MN DNR interprets the Wilton gauge as Scrapable below 39.1 ft, Low from 39.1 to 40.0, Medium from 40.0 to 42.5, High from 42.5 to 45.0, and Very High above 45.0.
- Current gauge check41.69 ft at 2026-07-23 01:30 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Wilton in the official medium band during this run.
- Camping contextFox Trap, Pine Point, and Iron Bridge watercraft campsite context
DNR Map 1 marks watercraft campsites on or near this short connector; campsite use remains first-come and subject to DNR water-trail rules.
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Mississippi River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Mississippi River?
Paddle Today watches Mississippi River near Wilton, CSAH7 and treats 40.00 ft to 42.50 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Mississippi River route start and end?
This route starts at Mississippi River, Bear Den Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Iron Bridge Public Water Access Site, about 10.8 mi on the water.
Is this Mississippi 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.