Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 4 routes on Pine River

Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area

Pine RiverNorway Lake to Pine River #1

Short upper Pine River connector from Norway Lake's DNR landing to the city Pine River #1 access. It fills the public-access gap upstream of the longer Pine River #1-to-Cross-Lake run, but low water and the downstream Jenkins gauge mean this is a visual-check route.

Route location

Loading the route map.

Open access map
Distance1.7 mi
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAbout 45 min to 1 hr 15 min
ShuttleCar shuttle
A paddler floats the Pine River along the Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway in Minnesota.
River contextPine River float river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by U.S. National Archives
View primary source
Embed this route

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.

Permits, camping and season
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Follow posted public-water-access and city landing rules at both endpoints.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is assumed for this short connector. Nearby lake-country campgrounds are separate base-camp decisions, not route campsites.
SeasonApr-OctDNR says Pine River levels usually peak in mid to late May, fall through summer, and can rise again in fall. Treat low summer readings conservatively on this upper segment.

Access and shuttle

Use Norway Lake to Pine River #1 as the short upstream connector into the city of Pine River. It is most useful when the DNR Jenkins gauge is comfortably above the scrapable band and the local channel looks open.

Access map

Skip map

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

End of map
Start

Put-in

Norway Lake Public Water Access Site
DirectionsOpen map

Norway Lake and Pine River #1 are official Minnesota public-water-access records with river-mile support, but the exact channel can still be shallow in summer.

Finish

Take-out

Pine River #1 Public Water Access Site
DirectionsOpen map

The Jenkins gauge is downstream of this segment, so it cannot replace a same-day visual check at the launch and take-out.

Road shuttle

Very short two-car shuttle north of Pine River. Check launch depth before unloading because the DNR gauge used by the app is downstream at Jenkins.

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Additional access notes
  • Keep stops to public landings or clearly legal shorelines.
More route and safety guidance
  • MN DNR warns that upper Pine water levels normally fall through summer and that some upper-river culverts may require portaging.
  • Use public landings for stops; nearby banks are a mix of public, private, and developed lake-country shorelines.
Terms and safety
Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.

Trip schedule

Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.

Browser plans

Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.

Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.

Conditions

Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------
Detailed weather

Weather

Hourly forecast

Checking weather.

Loading today's forecast.

Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Photos and recent reports

Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.

Add a photo or report

Access changes, obstructions and dated hazard photos are especially useful.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

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 recordsNorway Lake WAS00722 / Pine River #1 WAS00726

    Minnesota public-water-access GIS places Norway Lake at river mile 38.8 and Pine River #1 at river mile 37.1, supporting a 1.7-mile public-access segment.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-2313 cfs at 2026-07-23 20:45 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.

    Source

  • Upper-river characterSeasonal levels and culvert caution

    MN DNR describes Pine River levels as peaking in spring and dropping through summer, and flags box or low culverts as upper-river portage hazards.

    Source

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 4
Cross Lake to Rock DamBrainerd Lakes AreaEasy · 4.5 mi

Nearby routes within 75 miles

Mississippi RiverTrommald to Lum Park · about 22 straight-line mi awayModerate · About 13.6 mi

Flag a change

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a changeEmail update