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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 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 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.
Put-in
Lake Itasca Public Water Access SiteOpen mapLake 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 SiteOpen mapGulsvig 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.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
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
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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 | 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 |
| 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 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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.