See all 7 routes on North Fork Crow River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
North Fork Crow River
Bill Anderson Memorial County Park to Humphrey-Arends Memorial County Park
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
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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 Bill Anderson Park and take out at Humphrey Arends County Park. This longer North Fork Crow day links the DNR Map 1 and Map 2 access chain before the river bends toward Crow Springs and Rockford.
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
Bill Anderson Park carry-in accessBill Anderson Park is a carry-in public access at river mile 55.3 with DNR-mapped watercraft-campsite context.
Take-out
Humphrey Arends County Park carry-in accessHumphrey Arends County Park resolves to the public-water-access record at river mile 45.1; DNR Map 2 maps the carry-in access on river right with drinking water and permit-required camping on river left.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Bill Anderson Park is a carry-in public access at river mile 55.3 with DNR-mapped watercraft-campsite context.
- Humphrey Arends County Park resolves to the public-water-access record at river mile 45.1; DNR Map 2 maps the carry-in access on river right with drinking water and permit-required camping on river left.
- The Cokato gauge is upstream of the route, so require a local landing check and avoid assuming the reading captures downstream tributary, wood, or backwater conditions.
Watch for
- Low-water dragging and shallow riffles when the Cokato gauge is only low.
- Underwater branches, overhanging trees, and rural debris on blind bends.
- Do not drift past Humphrey Arends without a separate plan; downstream routes include additional hazards and the Hanover dam is farther below the next access chain.
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 | North Fork Crow River nr Cokato, CSAH4 |
| 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 | 300 cfs to 600 cfs |
| Low threshold | 241 cfs |
| High threshold | 800 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 North Fork Crow River near Cokato |
| 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.
- Route shapeBill Anderson RM 55.3 to Humphrey-Arends RM 45.1
MN DNR Map 1 and Map 2 place Bill Anderson Memorial County Park and Humphrey-Arends Memorial County Park in downstream order across the map-sheet boundary, making this a 10.2-mile connector.
- Public access recordsWAS02856 to WAS01744
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Bill Anderson Park and Humphrey Arends with official names, administrators, coordinates, and river-mile values.
- Official DNR bands241 / 300-600 / 800 cfs
MN DNR interprets the upstream Cokato gauge as Scrapable below 241 cfs, Low from 241 to 300, Medium from 300 to 600, High from 600 to 800, and Very High above 800.
- Current gauge check261 cfs at 2026-07-24 05:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Cokato in the official low band during this run; use it as a conservative upstream signal and check local depth before launch.
- Downstream boundaryHanover dam remains below this card
DNR Map 2 places the Hanover dam at river mile 17.9, far downstream of Humphrey-Arends. The app card intentionally stops at Humphrey-Arends and does not imply continuation through later dam or Rockford routing.
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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
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Quick answers
North Fork Crow River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling North Fork Crow River?
Paddle Today watches North Fork Crow River nr Cokato, CSAH4 and treats 300 cfs to 600 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this North Fork Crow River route start and end?
This route starts at Bill Anderson Park carry-in access and ends at Humphrey Arends County Park carry-in access, about 10.2 mi on the water.
Is this North Fork Crow 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.