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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 location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
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
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
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.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Bear Den Public Water Access SiteBear 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 SitePine Point is a mapped intermediate carry-in/campsite access, but use it only if current signs, landing condition, and site availability are clear.
Plan this segment
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.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
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 |
| 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 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
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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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.