See all 2 routes on Redwood River
Minnesota | Southwest Minnesota
Redwood River
Wabasso to Redwood Lake
Check current paddling conditions for this Redwood River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Today
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
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
Launch at Wabasso and finish at the Redwood Lake public access above the Highway 19 dam. The lower Redwood Falls DNR gauge is direct for this corridor, but today's official low reading makes same-day depth checks important.
Put-in
Redwood River, Wabasso Public Water Access SiteOpen mapWabasso resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00004 at river mile 13.3.
Take-out
Redwood Lake Public Water Access SiteOpen mapRedwood Lake resolves as WAS00025 at river mile 5.8 in Perks Park and is the mandatory finish for this card.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Wabasso resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00004 at river mile 13.3.
- Redwood Lake resolves as WAS00025 at river mile 5.8 in Perks Park and is the mandatory finish for this card.
- Do not continue into the Highway 19 dam area by accident. DNR Map 3 marks the dam as impassable with no portage on the map sheet, while the DNR segment page says any continuation requires portaging around Lake Redwood Dam and re-entering in Alexander Ramsey Park.
Watch for
- The Highway 19 dam immediately below the Redwood Lake finish; stop early and load out with margin.
- Low-water scraping, woody bends, bridge current, floating debris, cold water, and high/rising-water strainers.
- Wind, wake, and shallow approach conditions on Redwood Lake near the take-out.
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.
No approved route photos yet
Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.
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 | Redwood River nr Redwood Falls, 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 | 116 cfs to 1,740 cfs |
| Low threshold | 16 cfs |
| High threshold | 3,000 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 Redwood River near Redwood Falls |
| 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 map routeWabasso RM 13.3 to Redwood Lake RM 5.8, about 7.5 miles
MN DNR Map 3 places Wabasso, County Road 17, Redwood Lake, Westside Park / Redwood Lake access, and the Highway 19 bridge and dam in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWAS00004 to WAS00025
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Wabasso and Redwood Lake as public access sites with coordinates, directions, launch data, administrators, and river miles.
- Official DNR bands16 / 116-1,740 / 3,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Redwood Falls gauge as Scrapable below 16 cfs, Low from 16 to 116, Medium from 116 to 1,740, High from 1,740 to 3,000, and Very High above 3,000.
- Current gauge check31.5 cfs at 2026-07-24 02:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed Redwood Falls in the official low band during this run.
- Dam boundaryHighway 19 dam below Redwood Lake
DNR Map 3 marks the Highway 19 bridge and dam as impassable with no portage on the map sheet; the DNR segment page separately says continuing to the Minnesota River requires portaging around Lake Redwood Dam and re-entering in Alexander Ramsey Park.
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.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
Share your trip
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
Redwood River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Redwood River?
Paddle Today watches Redwood River nr Redwood Falls, MN and treats 116 cfs to 1,740 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Redwood River route start and end?
This route starts at Redwood River, Wabasso Public Water Access Site and ends at Redwood Lake Public Water Access Site, about About 7.5 mi on the water.
Is this Redwood 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.