See all 5 routes on Red River of the North
Minnesota | Red River Valley
Red River of the North
Lincoln Drive Park Landing to Downtown Landing
Check current paddling conditions for this Red River of the North 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
Launch at Lincoln Drive Park, pass the Red Lake River confluence and LaFave Park, and finish at Downtown Landing for the DNR Map 4 Grand Forks connector.
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
Lincoln Drive Park LandingLincoln Drive Park Landing is DNR-mapped and independently resolved in the North Dakota Game and Fish fishing-facilities layer as an active Grand Forks Park District concrete ramp; its route coordinate marks the water-side end of that ramp.
Take-out
Downtown Landing / Boathouse on the RedLaFave Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00545 and is the selected downstream finish.
Plan this segment
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Lincoln Drive Park Landing is DNR-mapped and independently resolved in the North Dakota Game and Fish fishing-facilities layer as an active Grand Forks Park District concrete ramp; its route coordinate marks the water-side end of that ramp.
- LaFave Park resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00545 and is the selected downstream finish.
- Do not substitute steep Greenway banks or private edges for the planned take-out, especially when the Red is high, muddy, or recently flooded.
Watch for
- Snags, flood debris, muddy bank footing, poor underwater visibility, bridge current, and fast rises after rain.
- Urban water quality after storms and colder-than-expected big-river water in shoulder seasons.
- Border-river rules and the need to keep the short route from turning into an unplanned downstream extension.
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 River of the North at Grand Forks, ND |
| 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 | 881 cfs to 12,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 320 cfs |
| High threshold | 16,200 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 River of the North at Grand Forks |
| 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.
- Official DNR routeLincoln Drive Park RM 304.1 to Downtown Landing RM 301.6, 2.5 mi
MN DNR Map 4 defines the full Lincoln-to-Downtown connector through the Grand Forks / East Grand Forks corridor.
- Map 4 access contextLincoln Drive trailer access to Downtown carry-in
MN DNR Red River Map 4 identifies both landings and places the Red Lake River confluence and LaFave Park between them.
- Official Lincoln ramp inventoryNDGF Fishing Facilities ObjectID 1427
North Dakota Game and Fish identifies an active, usable, Grand Forks Park District poured-concrete Red River ramp in the Lincoln Park/South Forks area; current aerial imagery resolves the water-side end of that same ramp.
- Public access recordLaFave Park WAS00545
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves LaFave Park with source-backed coordinates and public access attributes.
- Official DNR bands320 / 881-12,000 / 16,200 cfs
MN DNR interprets Grand Forks as Scrapable below 320 cfs, Low from 320 to 881, Medium from 881 to 12,000, High from 12,000 to 16,200, and Very High above 16,200.
- Current gauge check1,340 cfs at 2026-07-23 01:45 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Grand Forks inside the official medium band during this run.
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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Red River of the North paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Red River of the North?
Paddle Today watches Red River of the North at Grand Forks, ND and treats 881 cfs to 12,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Red River of the North route start and end?
This route starts at Lincoln Drive Park Landing and ends at Downtown Landing / Boathouse on the Red, about 2.5 mi on the water.
Is this Red River of the North route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.