See all 9 routes on Red Lake River
Minnesota | Northwest Minnesota
Red Lake River
Sportsman's Park to Huot Park
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 Sportsman's Park and take out at Huot Park for MN DNR's 13.5-mile Red Lake River trip. The corridor is generally manageable, but paddlers should be comfortable maneuvering around boulders and riffles.
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
Sportsman's Park trailer accessSportsman's Park sits at the Red Lake Falls confluence area and is better treated as a developed campground/access complex than a minimalist bridge landing.
Take-out
Huot Park trailer accessHuot Park is the planned finish. Do not continue farther downstream unless you have separately checked dam locations and exit options.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Sportsman's Park sits at the Red Lake Falls confluence area and is better treated as a developed campground/access complex than a minimalist bridge landing.
- Huot Park is the planned finish. Do not continue farther downstream unless you have separately checked dam locations and exit options.
- This route shares a watershed with Red Lake Reservation upstream, but this specific trip starts downstream in public access water-trail country.
Watch for
- Boulder-bed riffles and rapids that become scrapy near the 5 ft floor.
- Debris, outside-bend wood, and faster recovery windows after storms or when the gauge moves into the high band.
- Downstream dam awareness if anyone in the group wants to paddle past Huot Park.
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 nr Red Lake Falls, CR13 |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | 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 | 8.00 ft to 11.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 5.00 ft |
| High threshold | 15.00 ft |
| 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 near Red Lake Falls / County Road 13 |
| 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.
- DNR bands5 / 8-11 / 15 ft
MN DNR interprets site 180 as Scrapable below 5 ft, Low from 5 to 8, Medium from 8 to 11, High from 11 to 15, and Very High above 15.
- Recommended trip13.5 river miles
MN DNR recommends Sportsman's Park to Huot Park as a day trip and says paddlers should be comfortable maneuvering around boulders, riffles, and rapids.
- Map supportSportsman's Park RM 93.0 to Huot Park RM 79.5
DNR Map 2 places Sportsman's Park trailer access at river mile 93.0, the direct gauge near Voyageur's View / County Road 13 at river mile 93.9, and Huot Park trailer access at river mile 79.5.
- Camping supportCampsites and drinking water at Sportsman's Park
The DNR map explicitly says Sportsman's Park has campsites and drinking water, which makes it one of the cleaner camp-before-you-launch options in the Minnesota inventory.
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
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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 nr Red Lake Falls, CR13 and treats 8.00 ft to 11.00 ft 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 Sportsman's Park trailer access and ends at Huot Park trailer access, about 13.5 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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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.