See all 4 routes on Pine River
Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area
Pine RiverCross Lake to Rock Dam
Short official-access Pine River connector below the Cross Lake dam system, running from the USACE Cross Lake landing to the Rock Dam public access. It is useful when the lower Pine has enough water, but the dam-regulated setting makes a same-day visual check important.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
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.
Access map
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.
Road shuttle
Short two-car shuttle between the USACE Cross Lake access and Rock Dam. Check the Cross Lake dam/outflow area before launching because the gauge is upstream of the reservoir system.
Additional access notes
- Rock Dam has parking but no restroom in the public-access record; check take-out conditions before staging a vehicle.
More route and safety guidance
- The Jenkins gauge is upstream of the reservoir/dam chain, so visually confirm outflow and channel depth below Cross Lake before committing.
- Expect normal wooded-river strainers, cold-water exposure outside midsummer, and private banks between the public endpoints.
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-2314.1 cfs at 2026-07-23 05:45 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- 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.
Other routes nearby
More on Pine River
All 4Nearby routes within 75 miles
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