See all 4 routes on Pine River
Minnesota | Brainerd Lakes Area
Pine RiverRock Dam to Harvey Drake
Long lower Pine River day from Rock Dam to Harvey Drake Public Water Access, with official DNR route support and a direct DNR level ladder near Jenkins. This is a wooded full-day paddle, not a quick lake-country float.
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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 Pine River Rock Dam and take out at Harvey Drake Public Water Access for the DNR lower Pine day trip. The Jenkins DNR gauge gives this wooded route an official level ladder.
Access map
Put-in
Pine River Rock Dam public water accessRock Dam and Harvey Drake are official Minnesota public-water-access sites, but both are rural landings where parking, mud, and loading space should be checked on arrival.
Take-out
Harvey Drake Public Water AccessThe route begins at the Rock Dam area; review the DNR map and avoid improvising around dam or rock-riffle infrastructure.
Road shuttle
Plan a full-day two-car shuttle from Rock Dam near Crosslake to Harvey Drake Public Water Access near County Road 11. Confirm rural landing and parking conditions before staging vehicles.
Additional access notes
- Harvey Drake sits near a bridge crossing and is easier to identify on the map than from the road at speed.
More route and safety guidance
- MN DNR describes this as a 14.4-mile full-day route; low water, wooded bends, and debris after storms can make it more demanding.
- Cold-water exposure outside midsummer and long-route fatigue require conservative trip planning.
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Detailed weather
Weather
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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.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Pine River nr Jenkins, CSAH15 |
| Discharge | Checking |
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| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
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| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | 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 |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- DNR bands35 / 50-200 / 500 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Jenkins gauge 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.
- Recommended trip14.4 river miles
MN DNR lists Rock Dam to Harvey Drake access as a recommended Pine River trip. Public access records place Rock Dam at river mile 15.3 and Harvey Drake at river mile 0.9.
- Public access recordsDNR access IDs WAS02986 and WAS01001
Minnesota public-water-access data identifies the put-in as Pine River, Rock Dam Public Water Access Site and the take-out as Pine River, Harvey Drake Public Water Access Site.
- Route characterWooded full-day route
The Pine River State Water Trail flows through jack pine forest and lake-country wetlands. Treat the lower route as a full-day wooded river paddle with normal strainers and low-water checks.
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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