See all 7 routes on North Fork Crow River
Minnesota | Twin Cities Northwest Metro
North Fork Crow River
Rockford Access to Riverside County Park
Check current paddling conditions for this North Fork Crow 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
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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
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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 the Rockford public water access and take out at Riverside County Park near Hanover. DNR describes this as an 8.5-mile possible day trip on a straight, shallow lower North Fork Crow reach.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Rockford Boat Launch / Rockford public water accessThe Rockford access is a small-watercraft launch with moderate bank height and a fishing pier nearby.
Take-out
Riverside County Park / Riverside Park public water accessRiverside County Park is a real Wright County river-access park. The DNR Riverside guide describes the access as somewhat steep but usable for small boats and canoes.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- The Rockford access is a small-watercraft launch with moderate bank height and a fishing pier nearby.
- Riverside County Park is a real Wright County river-access park. The DNR Riverside guide describes the access as somewhat steep but usable for small boats and canoes.
- This route overlaps the same lower-river gauge family as Riverside-to-Dayton; choose this if you want a shorter day.
Watch for
- Shallow gravel, cobble, and boulder sections when the Rockford gauge falls toward the low band.
- Fresh wood or debris after high water, even though the DNR guide notes few downed trees during its survey.
- Changing landing mud and bank conditions at both accesses after rain.
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 | North Fork Crow River nr Rockford, Farmington Ave |
| 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 | 500 cfs to 1,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 345 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,750 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 Rockford |
| 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 bands345 / 500-1,500 / 1,750 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Rockford reading as Scrapable below 345 cfs, Low from 345 to 500, Medium from 500 to 1,500, High from 1,500 to 1,750, and Very High above 1,750.
- DNR route support8.5 river miles
The DNR Rockford Access guide names Rockford Access to Riverside County Park as a possible day trip and describes the river as straight and shallow with few downed trees encountered in the guide survey.
- Public access recordsDNR access IDs WAS03086 and WAS01955
Minnesota public-water-access data identifies the put-in as North Fork Crow River, Rockford Public Water Access Site at river mile 22.8 and the take-out as Crow River, Riverside Park Public Water Access Site at river mile 15.4.
- Take-out supportWright County park
Wright County confirms Riverside County Park has public river access, river frontage, pit toilets, picnic area, and a reservable primitive canoe campsite.
- Take-out launch detailSteep but launchable
The DNR Riverside Access guide says Riverside County Park has a somewhat steep access, but small boats and canoes may be launched there.
- Hazard contextFormer low-head dams removed
The DNR Rockford guide notes that former low-head dam hazards at Hanover and Berning Mill were removed, but same-day wood and water-level checks still matter.
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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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 Rockford, Farmington Ave and treats 500 cfs to 1,500 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 Rockford Boat Launch / Rockford public water access and ends at Riverside County Park / Riverside Park public water access, about 8.5 mi on the water.
Is this North Fork Crow 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.
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