See all 11 routes on North Raccoon River
Iowa | Northwest Iowa
North Raccoon River
Hagge Park to White Horse Access
Check current paddling conditions for this North Raccoon 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
Run the wild downstream continuation from Hagge Park to White Horse only after completing the mandatory Hagge rock-dam portage and below-dam relaunch plan.
Put-in
Hagge Park below-dam relaunchOpen mapHagge is not a normal upstream launch for this split unless the paddler has already portaged or deliberately staged below the non-passable rock dam.
Take-out
White Horse AccessOpen mapWhite Horse Access is a public DNR access with a cement boat ramp, but the adjacent active railroad line is private property.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Hagge is not a normal upstream launch for this split unless the paddler has already portaged or deliberately staged below the non-passable rock dam.
- White Horse Access is a public DNR access with a cement boat ramp, but the adjacent active railroad line is private property.
- Endpoint coordinates are named-site access anchors from county/DNR/context mapping, not surveyed low-water ramp points.
Watch for
- Unstable boulder relaunch below Hagge Park dam and shallow boulder exposure at low local flow.
- Logjams, rock-dam-style riffles, eroding banks, and livestock or field-edge bank damage.
- White Horse rock dam; take out unless a separate downstream plan and scout support continuing.
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 Raccoon River near Lanesboro, IA |
| 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 | 0.00 ft to 11.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 0.00 ft |
| High threshold | 11.00 ft |
| Data confidence behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Iowa DNR North Raccoon Sac/Calhoun/Carroll guide Lanesboro/Jefferson guidance |
| 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 route familySac City Park to Hagge Park Dam to White Horse Access, 17.5 mi
Iowa DNR describes this official water-trail section and the bottomland forest corridor below Hagge Park.
- Hagge boundaryHagge Park dam is not passable
DNR says the Hagge Park rock dam is not passable by canoe or kayak and that the below-dam put-in is over unstable boulders.
- White Horse accessCement boat ramp and rock-dam boundary
DNR says White Horse Access has a cement boat ramp and that its rock dam is runnable only by experienced paddlers at decent water levels.
- Current gauge checkUSGS 05482430 7.65 ft; USGS 05482300 54.3 cfs / 6.85 ft; USGS 05482500 218 cfs / 5.12 ft
USGS Water Services returned current North Raccoon values at 2026-07-24 02:15 CDT during this run; low Sac City flow requires local depth and portage checks.
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
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Reports
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Quick answers
North Raccoon River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling North Raccoon River?
Paddle Today watches North Raccoon River near Lanesboro, IA and treats 0.00 ft to 11.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this North Raccoon River route start and end?
This route starts at Hagge Park below-dam relaunch and ends at White Horse Access, about About 13.5 mi on the water.
Is this North Raccoon River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.