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Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Mississippi River
Clearwater to Snuffie's Landing
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 Clearwater and finish at Snuffie's Landing for a shorter Map 8 Mississippi connector below the existing Beaver-Island-to-Clearwater route. The St. Cloud gauge is upstream, so pair the official bands with local wind, riffle, and access checks.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Clearwater Public Water Access SiteOpen mapClearwater resolves as WAS01309 at river mile 913.7 and Snuffie's Landing resolves as WAS01297 at river mile 905.5 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Snuffie's Landing Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe St. Cloud gauge is upstream of this route and should be treated as a same-map proxy, not an exact local measurement.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Clearwater resolves as WAS01309 at river mile 913.7 and Snuffie's Landing resolves as WAS01297 at river mile 905.5 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
- The St. Cloud gauge is upstream of this route and should be treated as a same-map proxy, not an exact local measurement.
- Take out at Snuffie's for this card. Do not drift into the downstream Norin and Babcock corridor without a separate shuttle plan.
Watch for
- Low-water riffles, shallow side channels, and slower progress when the upstream St. Cloud gauge is near the low band.
- Fast current, floating wood, bridge approaches, wind on open bends, motorboats, anglers, cold water, and private banks.
- Finding Snuffie's Landing from the water before the final bends and avoiding unplanned downstream continuation.
Route gallery
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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 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.
- Official map sequenceClearwater river mile 913.7 to Snuffie's Landing river mile 905.5
MN DNR Mississippi Map 8 places Clearwater, Oak Island watercraft campsite, and Snuffie's Landing in sequence below the recommended Beaver-Island-to-Clearwater day route.
- Public access recordsWAS01309 and WAS01297
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Clearwater and Snuffie's Landing with coordinates, administrators, river miles, and parking context.
- DNR bands2,000 / 3,000-9,000 / 12,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the St. Cloud gauge 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 check2,340 cfs at 2026-07-23 11:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed St. Cloud in the official low band during this run.
- Camping contextOak Island watercraft campsite
DNR Map 8 identifies Oak Island at river mile 906 as a no-fee watercraft campsite; do not assume private island or riverbank camping elsewhere.
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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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 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, Clearwater Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Snuffie's Landing Public Water Access Site, about About 8.2 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.