See all 4 routes on Otter Tail River
Minnesota | West Central Minnesota
Otter Tail River
Phelps Mill County Park to West Red River Lake
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
Checking weather.
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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 from Phelps Mill County Park and take out at West Red River Lake for the official 11.8-mile Otter Tail River day trip. The Elizabeth gauge is downstream, so wind, lake conditions, and visual level checks remain part of the decision.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the 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
Otter Tail River, Phelps Mill Public Water Access SitePhelps Mill is a county-administered public access below the Phelps Mill dam/portage context; do not run the dam or improvise above-dam launch choices.
Take-out
West Red River Lake Public Water Access SiteWest Lost Lake is the midpoint public access and shorter-route take-out; West Red River Lake resolves as WAS00822 near river mile 73.3 for the longer day.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Phelps Mill is a county-administered public access below the Phelps Mill dam/portage context; do not run the dam or improvise above-dam launch choices.
- West Lost Lake is the midpoint public access and shorter-route take-out; West Red River Lake resolves as WAS00822 near river mile 73.3 for the longer day.
- The Elizabeth gauge is downstream of this route, so it is a corridor indicator rather than a direct reading at West Red River Lake.
Watch for
- Wind and boat wake on West Lost Lake and West Red River Lake near the access points.
- Low-water dragging, vegetation, shallow riffles, culvert/bridge obstructions, and low headroom.
- Private shorelines, cold water, and slower travel if the downstream gauge falls toward the low band.
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 | Otter Tail River nr Elizabeth, MN |
| 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 700 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,200 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 Otter Tail River near Elizabeth |
| 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 routePhelps Mill Park to West Red River Lake, 11.8 river miles
MN DNR lists Phelps Mill County Park carry-in access at river mile 85.0 to West Red River Lake trailer access at river mile 73.2 as a recommended day trip.
- Public access recordsWAS00559 to WAS00822
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Phelps Mill and West Red River Lake with coordinates, administrators, and river-mile records; West Lost Lake WAS02421 is the official midpoint access.
- Official DNR bands100 / 300-700 / 1,200 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Elizabeth gauge as Scrapable below 100 cfs, Low from 100 to 300, Medium from 300 to 700, High from 700 to 1,200, and Very High above 1,200.
- Current gauge check324 cfs at 2026-07-22 19:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed the downstream Elizabeth gauge in the official medium band during this run.
- HazardsDam/portage, bridges, obstructions, lake wind
DNR Otter Tail materials warn paddlers to review dam, culvert, bridge, obstruction, low-water, and windy-lake conditions before paddling this water trail.
- Image reuseWikimedia Commons Phelps Mill endpoint photo
The route reuses an existing rights-clean Commons Phelps Mill image already present in the local gallery for this exact longer-route folder.
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Otter Tail River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Otter Tail River?
Paddle Today watches Otter Tail River nr Elizabeth, MN and treats 300 cfs to 700 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Otter Tail River route start and end?
This route starts at Otter Tail River, Phelps Mill Public Water Access Site and ends at West Red River Lake Public Water Access Site, about About 11.8 mi on the water.
Is this Otter Tail 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.