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Minnesota | Grand Rapids Area
Mississippi River
Blackberry Bridge to County Road 72
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 Blackberry Bridge and take out at County Road 72 for a 9.5-mile upper-Mississippi day section below Grand Rapids. Use the upstream Grand Rapids DNR gauge as a corridor check and make a same-day wind, debris, and shallow-riffle call.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Blackberry Bridge Public Water Access SiteOpen mapBlackberry Bridge is a DNR public access already used as the downstream endpoint of the existing Steamboat-to-Blackberry card.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Co Rd 72 Public Water Access SiteOpen mapCounty Road 72 resolves in the DNR public-water-access layer as a DNR-managed Mississippi River access at river mile 1161.4 with no restroom listed.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Blackberry Bridge is a DNR public access already used as the downstream endpoint of the existing Steamboat-to-Blackberry card.
- County Road 72 resolves in the DNR public-water-access layer as a DNR-managed Mississippi River access at river mile 1161.4 with no restroom listed.
- The Grand Rapids gauge is upstream of this split. It is official and same-corridor, but not a take-out reading.
Watch for
- Small riffles, exposed bars, and slower travel when the Grand Rapids gauge is near the low band.
- Wind on open bends, floating debris, and cold-water exposure.
- Private banks and limited clean intermediate exits between the two DNR accesses.
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 Grand Rapids, 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 | 44 cfs to 1,410 cfs |
| Low threshold | 30 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,910 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 Grand Rapids |
| 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 route splitBlackberry Bridge river mile 1170.9 to County Road 72 river mile 1161.4
MN DNR recommended-one-ways lists Steamboat Landing to County Road 72 as a 17.5-mile Map 3 route; the existing app card covers Steamboat-to-Blackberry, leaving this 9.5-mile downstream public-access pair.
- Public access recordsWAS02539 to WAS01345
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Blackberry Bridge and Mississippi River, Co Rd 72 with DNR access IDs, coordinates, public administrators, and matching river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands30 / 44-1410 / 1910 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Grand Rapids gauge as Scrapable below 30 cfs, Low from 30 to 44, Medium from 44 to 1410, High from 1410 to 1910, and Very High above 1910.
- Current gauge check251 cfs at 2026-07-16 02:45 PM
The current MN DNR feed placed the upstream Grand Rapids gauge in the official medium band during this run.
- Route characterEasy upper-Mississippi day water
DNR describes the broader planner route as farmland and wooded banks with no significant rapids, while noting small riffles can appear at low 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
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
Mississippi River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Mississippi River?
Paddle Today watches Mississippi River at Grand Rapids, MN and treats 44 cfs to 1,410 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, Blackberry Bridge Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Co Rd 72 Public Water Access Site, about About 9.5 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
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.