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Minnesota | Grand Rapids Area
Mississippi River
County Line Access to Jacobson Campground
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 County Line and take out at Jacobson Campground for DNR recommended Map 3/4 short trip. Use the upstream Grand Rapids DNR gauge as an official corridor check, then make the same-day call from local depth, wind, and debris.
Put-in
Mississippi River, County Line Public Water Access SiteOpen mapCounty Line resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01336 at DNR river mile 1145.5.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Jacobson Campground Public Water Access SiteOpen mapJacobson Campground resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02564 at DNR river mile 1140.6 with Aitkin County administration.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- County Line resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS01336 at DNR river mile 1145.5.
- Jacobson Campground resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02564 at DNR river mile 1140.6 with Aitkin County administration.
- The Grand Rapids gauge is upstream of this split. It is official same-corridor evidence, not a take-out reading at Jacobson.
Watch for
- Low-water riffles, shallow bars, floating debris, and slow current below the Grand Rapids gauge.
- Cold water, private banks, and limited bailout options even on a short 4.9-mile trip.
- Campground and access rules at Jacobson; use the endpoint campground only under current posted rules.
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 recommended tripCounty Line to Jacobson Campground, 4.9 miles
MN DNR recommended-one-way materials list County Line trailer access at river mile 1145.5 to Jacobson Campground trailer access at river mile 1140.6. DNR Maps 3 and 4 place the route across the map boundary.
- Public access recordsWAS01336 to WAS02564
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Line and Jacobson Campground with access IDs, coordinates, river miles, administrators, and directions.
- 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 check224 cfs at 2026-07-22 20:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed the upstream Grand Rapids gauge in the official medium band during this run.
- Camping supportJacobson Campground endpoint
DNR Map 4 identifies Jacobson Campground as trailer access with drinking water, and the public-water-access record identifies Aitkin County as administrator.
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
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Reports
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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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 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, County Line Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Jacobson Campground Public Water Access Site, about About 4.9 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.
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