See all 11 routes on North Raccoon River
Iowa | Northwest Iowa
North Raccoon River
Hagge Park to White Horse Access
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
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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
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.
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
Hagge Park below-dam relaunchHagge 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 AccessWhite Horse Access is a public DNR access with a cement boat ramp, but the adjacent active railroad line is private property.
Plan this segment
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
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 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 |
| Evidence strength 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
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler 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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