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Minnesota | Headwaters
Mississippi River
Lake Itasca to Coffee Pot Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Mississippi River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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
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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 Lake Itasca and take out at Coffee Pot Landing for the official DNR headwaters day. The Vern gauge sits inside the route and was in the official medium band during this run.
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.
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
Lake Itasca Public Water Access SiteLake Itasca resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02379 at DNR river mile 1341.6.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Coffee Pot Landing Public Water Access SiteGulsvig Landing resolves as WAS02375 at river mile 1340.4 and can be a practical early access check, but this card follows the DNR Lake Itasca-to-Coffee-Pot recommendation.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Lake Itasca resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02379 at DNR river mile 1341.6.
- Gulsvig Landing resolves as WAS02375 at river mile 1340.4 and can be a practical early access check, but this card follows the DNR Lake Itasca-to-Coffee-Pot recommendation.
- Coffee Pot Landing resolves as WAS00730 at DNR river mile 1326.2; confirm parking and landing conditions before committing to the long headwaters shuttle.
Watch for
- Log jams, beaver dams, shallow riffles, and route-finding in the narrow headwaters channel.
- Road culverts at high water, Vekin's Dam, County Road Two Class I challenge points, and cold-water exposure.
- Private banks and limited bailout options between public accesses.
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
Why this score
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 near Vern, CSAH37 |
| 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 | 84.20 ft to 85.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 84.20 ft |
| High threshold | 87.00 ft |
| 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 near Vern |
| 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 tripLake Itasca RM 1341.6 to Coffee Pot Landing RM 1326.2, 15.4 miles
MN DNR lists Lake Itasca to Coffee Pot Landing as the recommended Map 1 day trip and calls out headwaters hazards including log jams, road culverts, and Class I challenge points.
- Public access recordsWAS02379 to WAS00730
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Lake Itasca, Gulsvig Landing, and Coffee Pot Landing with river miles, coordinates, administrators, and directions.
- Official DNR bands84.2 / 84.2-85 / 87 ft
MN DNR interprets the Vern gauge as Scrapable below 84.2 ft, Medium from 84.2 to 85, High from 85 to 87, and Very High above 87. The official low and medium floor share the same value.
- Current gauge check84.82 ft at 2026-07-22 23:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Vern in the official medium band during this run.
- Camping postureNearby basecamp only
The route starts in Itasca State Park and passes DNR rest/access features, but no on-route legal overnight campsite was selected for this specific day card.
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.
Share your trip
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 near Vern, CSAH37 and treats 84.20 ft to 85.00 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 Lake Itasca Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Coffee Pot Landing Public Water Access Site, about About 15.4 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.