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Minnesota | St. Cloud Area
Mississippi River
Beaver Island Trail Access to Clearwater
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
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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 Beaver Island Trail Access and take out at Clearwater for DNR's 12.1-mile Map 8 day trip. The St. Cloud DNR river-level site is at the launch corridor and provides official interpreted bands for this island-channel reach.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Beaver Island Trail Public Water Access SiteOpen mapBeaver Island Trail Access resolves as WAS01281 at river mile 925.8; Clearwater resolves as WAS01309 at river mile 913.7.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Clearwater Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe DNR map notes both public and private islands in this reach. Confirm campsite identity before landing or camping.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Beaver Island Trail Access resolves as WAS01281 at river mile 925.8; Clearwater resolves as WAS01309 at river mile 913.7.
- The DNR map notes both public and private islands in this reach. Confirm campsite identity before landing or camping.
- The St. Cloud gauge is just upstream in the launch corridor; use it for flow screening, then make a visual call at Beaver Island before committing to side channels.
Watch for
- Riffles and exposed gravel when the St. Cloud site is in the low band.
- Fast-moving water, debris, and stronger eddies around islands when the DNR site is high or rising.
- Private islands and banks, confusing side channels, cold water, strainers, fishing traffic, and weather exposure on wider bends.
- Longer rescue time if a group splits channels or misses the Clearwater landing.
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 | Mississippi River at St. Cloud, 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 | 3,000 cfs to 9,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 2,000 cfs |
| High threshold | 12,000 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 Mississippi River at St. Cloud |
| 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.
- Recommended day tripBeaver Island RM 925.8 to Clearwater RM 913.7
MN DNR recommends Beaver Island Trail Access to Clearwater as a 12.1-mile Mississippi River day trip through island channels and bluff country.
- Public access recordsWAS01281 to WAS01309
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Beaver Island and Clearwater with coordinates, administrators, and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands2,000 / 3,000-9,000 / 12,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets St. Cloud as Scrapable below 2,000 cfs, Low from 2,000 to 3,000, Medium from 3,000 to 9,000, High from 9,000 to 12,000, and Very High above 12,000.
- Current gauge check2,850 cfs at 2026-07-22 19:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed St. Cloud in the official low band during this run, below the preferred medium band.
- Camping and channel contextDNR campsites and island channels
MN DNR Map 8 and the segment page document primitive campsites, public/private islands, shallow riffles at low water, and faster current at high water.
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
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Quick answers
Mississippi River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Mississippi River?
Paddle Today watches Mississippi River at St. Cloud, MN and treats 3,000 cfs to 9,000 cfs 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, Beaver Island Trail Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Clearwater Public Water Access Site, about About 12.1 mi on the water.
Is this Mississippi 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.