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Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area
Mississippi River
Highway 6 to Trommald
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 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.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Hwy 6 Public Water Access SiteOpen mapHighway 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 SiteOpen mapThe 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.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
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
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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 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 |
| 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 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
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 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.