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Minnesota | Mississippi Headwaters
Mississippi River
Wold's Ferry Crossing to Palisade
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 Wold's Ferry and take out at Palisade to fill the upstream gap inside the official Wold's-to-Aitkin Map 4 corridor. Aitkin was below the DNR scrapable floor during this run.
Put-in
Mississippi River, Wold's Ferry Crossing Public Water Access SiteOpen mapWold's Ferry and Palisade are both DNR/public-access-backed endpoints already used by adjacent current route cards.
Take-out
Mississippi River, Palisade Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe Aitkin gauge is downstream of the selected split, so inspect depth, mud, and wood at Wold's Ferry before committing.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Wold's Ferry and Palisade are both DNR/public-access-backed endpoints already used by adjacent current route cards.
- The Aitkin gauge is downstream of the selected split, so inspect depth, mud, and wood at Wold's Ferry before committing.
- Do not extend toward Aitkin's diversion-channel and dam context unless the downstream Aitkin route is separately planned.
Watch for
- Low-water riffles, shallow bars, snags, downed trees, and dead-end side channels.
- Private banks, limited bailouts, cold water, and wind on wider bends.
- Storm debris or high/rising water that can make the proxy gauge less representative.
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 Aitkin, 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 | 1,500 cfs to 6,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 712 cfs |
| High threshold | 8,000 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 Aitkin |
| 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.
- Recommended corridorWold's Ferry to Aitkin Campground, 40.3 miles
MN DNR recommended-one-way materials list Wold's Ferry Crossing to Aitkin Campground as the Map 4 Mississippi section; this card fills the upstream public-access gap to Palisade.
- Map supportWold's Ferry RM 1096.0 to Palisade RM 1086.4
MN DNR Map 4 places Wold's Ferry, Big Sandy River confluence context, Palisade, Waldeck, Kimball, and Aitkin in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWold's Ferry WAS02563 and Palisade WAS01038
Existing DNR/public-access-backed route details in the current app resolve Wold's Ferry and Palisade with coordinates, public-access IDs, and river-mile context.
- Official DNR bands712.3 / 1,500-6,000 / 8,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Aitkin gauge as Scrapable below 712.3 cfs, Low from 712.3 to 1,500, Medium from 1,500 to 6,000, High from 6,000 to 8,000, and Very High above 8,000.
- Current gauge check638 cfs at 2026-07-23 19:30 CDT
The official DNR feed placed Aitkin below the scrapable floor during this run, so this card should score too low 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.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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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 at Aitkin, MN and treats 1,500 cfs to 6,000 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, Wold's Ferry Crossing Public Water Access Site and ends at Mississippi River, Palisade Public Water Access Site, about 9.6 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.