Minnesota | Southeast Minnesota
North Fork Zumbro River
Covered Bridge Park to Walking Bridge Park
Check current paddling conditions for this North Fork Zumbro River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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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 Covered Bridge Park and finish at Walking Bridge Park for the North Fork Zumbro public-access day through Zumbrota-to-Mazeppa water. The Mazeppa DNR gauge was in the official medium band during this run, but it is downstream of the take-out and should be paired with visual checks.
Put-in
Zumbro River, Covered Bridge Park Public Water Access SiteOpen mapCovered Bridge Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02181 at river mile 69.6.
Take-out
Zumbro River, Walking Bridge Park Public Water Access SiteOpen mapWalking Bridge Park resolves as WAS02184 at river mile 60.1 in Mazeppa and is the intended finish just below the mapped Mazeppa Rapids area.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Covered Bridge Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02181 at river mile 69.6.
- Walking Bridge Park resolves as WAS02184 at river mile 60.1 in Mazeppa and is the intended finish just below the mapped Mazeppa Rapids area.
- The selected DNR gauge is downstream near County Road 7. Local rain, wood, or shallow riffles may differ from the gauge reading.
Watch for
- Old bridge supports, bridge current, logs, strainers, and private banks.
- Mazeppa Rapids, marked Class I by DNR with a 90-yard right-bank portage.
- Flash-flood behavior after thunderstorms; do not rely on stale visual conditions if the gauge is rising.
Route gallery
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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 | North Fork Zumbro River nr Mazeppa, CSAH7 |
| 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 | 63 cfs to 725 cfs |
| Low threshold | 50 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,436 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 North Fork Zumbro River near Mazeppa |
| 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 map routeCovered Bridge Park RM 69.6 to Walking Bridge Park RM 60.1, about 9.5 miles
MN DNR Zumbro Map 1 places Covered Bridge Park, old bridge supports, County Road 10, Mazeppa Rapids, and Walking Bridge Park in downstream order on the North Fork Zumbro.
- Public access recordsWAS02181 to WAS02184
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Covered Bridge Park and Walking Bridge Park as public Zumbro River access sites with coordinates, administrators, directions, and river miles.
- Official DNR bands50 / 63-724.7 / 1,435.7 cfs
MN DNR interprets the North Fork Zumbro near Mazeppa gauge as Scrapable below 50 cfs, Low from 50 to 63, Medium from 63 to 724.7, High from 724.7 to 1,435.7, and Very High above 1,435.7.
- Current gauge check101 cfs at 2026-07-24 02:30 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed the Mazeppa gauge in the official medium band during this run.
- Route hazardsOld bridge supports and Mazeppa Rapids
DNR Map 1 flags old bridge supports upstream of County Road 48 and marks Mazeppa Rapids as Class I with a 90-yard right-bank portage.
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
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Quick answers
North Fork Zumbro River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling North Fork Zumbro River?
Paddle Today watches North Fork Zumbro River nr Mazeppa, CSAH7 and treats 63 cfs to 725 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this North Fork Zumbro River route start and end?
This route starts at Zumbro River, Covered Bridge Park Public Water Access Site and ends at Zumbro River, Walking Bridge Park Public Water Access Site, about About 9.5 mi on the water.
Is this North Fork Zumbro 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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