See all 9 routes on Red Lake River
Minnesota | Northwest Minnesota
Red Lake River
Highway 75 Bypass to Fisher Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Red Lake River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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
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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
Put in at the Highway 75 Bypass access below Crookston and take out at Fisher Landing. The Fisher gauge is direct at the finish and barely in the official medium band during this run.
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
Red Lake River, Highway 75 Bypass Public Water Access SiteHighway 75 Bypass resolves as WAS00550 at river mile 51.0, below the DNR-mapped Crookston constructed rock rapids and portage zone.
Take-out
Red Lake River, Fisher Landing Public Water Access SiteFisher Landing resolves as WAS02138 at river mile 27.9 beside the County Road 15 bridge and the Fisher river-level gauge.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Highway 75 Bypass resolves as WAS00550 at river mile 51.0, below the DNR-mapped Crookston constructed rock rapids and portage zone.
- Fisher Landing resolves as WAS02138 at river mile 27.9 beside the County Road 15 bridge and the Fisher river-level gauge.
- This is a long lower-river reach with sparse public exits; do not assume private banks or road crossings are legal bailout points.
Watch for
- Low-water scraping, shallow bends, strainers, fresh flood debris, and slow travel if the gauge falls back below medium.
- Wind across open farmland bends, storms, cold water, private banks, and limited rescue exposure.
- Starting upstream of Highway 75 Bypass would reintroduce Crookston rapids and portage hazards that this card intentionally avoids.
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
Why this score
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 | Red Lake River at Fisher, 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 | 237 cfs to 1,960 cfs |
| Low threshold | 195 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,850 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 Red Lake River at Fisher |
| 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.
- Route shapeHighway 75 Bypass RM 51.0 to Fisher RM 27.9
MN DNR Red Lake Map 2 places the Highway 75 Bypass trailer access below the Crookston constructed rock rapids, then Fisher Landing at the County Road 15 bridge and river-level gauge.
- Public access recordsWAS00550 to WAS02138
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves the Highway 75 Bypass and Fisher Landing access sites with coordinates and public access records.
- Official DNR bands195 / 237-1,960 / 2,850 cfs
MN DNR interprets Fisher as Scrapable below 195 cfs, Low from 195 to 237, Medium from 237 to 1,960, High from 1,960 to 2,850, and Very High above 2,850.
- Current gauge check244 cfs at 2026-07-22 19:30 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Fisher barely inside the official medium band during this run.
- Safety contextStart below Crookston rapids; private-bank rules
DNR Map 2 maps constructed rock rapids and a portage upstream in Crookston, then the Highway 75 Bypass access below that zone; the map safety text warns about private shoreland, river levels, wind, and obstacles.
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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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Red Lake River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Red Lake River?
Paddle Today watches Red Lake River at Fisher, MN and treats 237 cfs to 1,960 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Red Lake River route start and end?
This route starts at Red Lake River, Highway 75 Bypass Public Water Access Site and ends at Red Lake River, Fisher Landing Public Water Access Site, about About 23.1 mi on the water.
Is this Red Lake 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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