See all 4 routes on Pine River
Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area
Pine River
Cross Lake to Rock Dam
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.
Loading today's forecast.
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 at the Cross Lake public access and finish at Rock Dam for the short below-Cross-Lake Pine River connector. The app uses DNR Jenkins bands as an official same-water-trail proxy and flags very low readings conservatively.
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
Pine River, Cross Lake Public Water Access SiteCross Lake is an official public-water-access site administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Rock Dam is an official DNR Forestry public-water-access site.
Take-out
Pine River, Rock Dam Public Water Access SiteThe route begins below the Cross Lake dam system, so do not treat the upstream Jenkins gauge as a perfect launch-depth reading.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Cross Lake is an official public-water-access site administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Rock Dam is an official DNR Forestry public-water-access site.
- The route begins below the Cross Lake dam system, so do not treat the upstream Jenkins gauge as a perfect launch-depth reading.
- Rock Dam has parking but no restroom in the public-access record; check take-out conditions before staging a vehicle.
Watch for
- Scraping and exposed rock when Jenkins is below the 35 cfs scrapable floor.
- Dam, spillway, or rock-control infrastructure around Cross Lake and Rock Dam.
- Wood, strainers, and private banks on the wooded river channel.
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 | Pine River nr Jenkins, CSAH15 |
| 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 | 50 cfs to 200 cfs |
| Low threshold | 35 cfs |
| High threshold | 500 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 Pine River near Jenkins |
| 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.
- Public access recordsCross Lake WAS01002 / Rock Dam WAS02986
Minnesota public-water-access GIS places Cross Lake at river mile 19.8 and Rock Dam at river mile 15.3, supporting a 4.5-mile public-access segment.
- Official DNR bands35 / 50-200 / 500 cfs
MN DNR interprets Jenkins as Scrapable below 35 cfs, Low from 35 to 50, Medium from 50 to 200, High from 200 to 500, and Very High above 500.
- Current gauge check14.1 cfs at 2026-07-23 05:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Jenkins below the official scrapable floor during this run, so the card should score as too low until conditions improve.
- Route characterBelow Cross Lake Dam
MN DNR says the Pine is gravel-bottomed with occasional boulders and that the river below Cross Lake Dam is generally runnable through summer, while dam and low-water 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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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
Pine River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Pine River?
Paddle Today watches Pine River nr Jenkins, CSAH15 and treats 50 cfs to 200 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Pine River route start and end?
This route starts at Pine River, Cross Lake Public Water Access Site and ends at Pine River, Rock Dam Public Water Access Site, about 4.5 mi on the water.
Is this Pine 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.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.