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Minnesota | Mississippi Headwaters
Mississippi River
County Road 25 to Knutson Dam Recreation Area
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 County Road 25 and paddle the missing headwaters connector to Knutson Dam Recreation Area. The route links official public accesses, but wind, large-water exposure, vegetation, and remote rescue spacing make this a conservative route-card add.
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.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Co Rd 25 Public Water Access SiteOpen mapCounty Road 25 resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00729 at Mississippi river mile 1273.9.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Knutson Dam Public Water Access SiteOpen mapWolf Lake and Cass Lake accesses are route checks or bailouts, not excuses for open-water shortcuts.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- County Road 25 resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00729 at Mississippi river mile 1273.9.
- Wolf Lake and Cass Lake accesses are route checks or bailouts, not excuses for open-water shortcuts.
- Knutson Dam resolves as WAS02961 near river mile 1258.1 and is the required finish before the already-live Knutson-to-West-Winnie card.
Watch for
- Wind, waves, cold water, poor visibility, and open-water exposure around Cass Lake; DNR says paddling across Cass and Winnibigoshish is not recommended.
- Aquatic vegetation, shallow wetlands, wood, private shorelines, and limited exits.
- High or fast-rising Stump Lake readings, which make channels, bridge current, and shoreline exits 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.
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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 | Stump Lake near Bemidji, CSAH12 |
| 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 | 2.80 ft to 3.60 ft |
| Low threshold | 1.80 ft |
| High threshold | 5.00 ft |
| 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 Stump Lake near Bemidji |
| 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 routeCounty Road 25 RM 1273.9 to Knutson Dam RM 1258.2, about 15.7 miles
MN DNR Maps 1 and 2 place the County Road 25 carry-in, Wolf Lake access, Cass Lake transition accesses, and Bimijiwan / Knutson Dam Recreation Area in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWAS00729 to WAS02961
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 25, Wolf Lake, and Knutson Dam with coordinates and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands1.8 / 2.8-3.6 / 5.0 ft
MN DNR interprets Stump Lake / County Road 12 as Scrapable below 1.8 ft, Low from 1.8 to 2.8, Medium from 2.8 to 3.6, High from 3.6 to 5.0, and Very High above 5.0.
- Current gauge check2.89 ft at 2026-07-24 02:30 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Stump Lake in the official medium band during this run.
- Safety and camping contextLarge-lake warning and endpoint campground
DNR warns large open water on Cass Lake and Winnibigoshish can be dangerous for small craft. Knutson Dam Recreation Area / campground can support a legal endpoint overnight plan under current USFS 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
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 Stump Lake near Bemidji, CSAH12 and treats 2.80 ft to 3.60 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, Co Rd 25 Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Knutson Dam Public Water Access Site, about About 15.7 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.