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Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area
Mississippi River
Highway 6 to Trommald
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
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
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Highway 6 and take out at Trommald for MN DNR / MHB recommended broad Mississippi water above Brainerd. Use the Brainerd DNR gauge as the official downstream corridor proxy and make visual checks at both ramps.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Hwy 6 Public Water Access SiteHighway 6 resolves as WAS00999 at river mile 1030.0, and Trommald resolves as WAS02294 at river mile 1018.3 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Trommald Public Water Access SiteThe Brainerd gauge is downstream of the take-out and below the Pine River confluence, so it is a conservative corridor proxy rather than an exact put-in reading.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Highway 6 resolves as WAS00999 at river mile 1030.0, and Trommald resolves as WAS02294 at river mile 1018.3 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
- The Brainerd gauge is downstream of the take-out and below the Pine River confluence, so it is a conservative corridor proxy rather than an exact put-in reading.
- Finish at Trommald for this route. Do not drift toward Brainerd, French Rapids, Potlatch Dam, or any portage corridor without a separate plan.
Watch for
- Stronger current after rain, especially with Pine River inflow midway through the trip.
- Motorboats, fishing traffic, wind, and wake on the wide river.
- Floating wood, cold water, private banks, and downstream dam-corridor complacency after an easy first half.
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.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Mississippi River at Brainerd, 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 | 1,800 cfs to 7,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 908 cfs |
| High threshold | 10,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength 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 Brainerd |
| 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.
- DNR recommended tripHighway 6 RM 1030 to Trommald RM 1018.3
MN DNR Map 5 recommends the 11.7-mile Highway 6 to Trommald day trip and describes it as broad Mississippi water with no rapids, Pine River confluence, and stronger current after rain.
- MHB signed excursionAbout 3 hr 45 min
The Mississippi Headwaters Board lists the Hwy 6 to Trommald Landing excursion with endpoint driving directions and a downloadable route map.
- Public access recordsWAS00999 to WAS02294
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Mississippi River Hwy 6 and Trommald as DNR-administered public access sites with matching river miles and coordinates.
- Official DNR bands908 / 1,800-7,000 / 10,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets Brainerd as Scrapable below 908 cfs, Low from 908 to 1,800, Medium from 1,800 to 7,000, High from 7,000 to 10,000, and Very High above 10,000.
- Current gauge check952 cfs at 2026-07-22 14:30 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Brainerd in the official low band during this run, so this card should stay conservative until flows recover.
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
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
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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 Brainerd, MN and treats 1,800 cfs to 7,000 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, Hwy 6 Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Trommald Public Water Access Site, about 11.7 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.