See all 8 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 snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
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.
Put-in
Red Lake River, Highway 75 Bypass Public Water Access SiteOpen mapHighway 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 SiteOpen mapFisher Landing resolves as WAS02138 at river mile 27.9 beside the County Road 15 bridge and the Fisher river-level gauge.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
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
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
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 |
| Data confidence 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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
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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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