See all 10 routes on Rum River
Minnesota | East Central Minnesota
Rum River
Highway 7 Access to Walbo Access
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
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 Highway 7 and take out at Walbo for a middle-Rum connector below the current Princeton-area tree alert and above the already-live Walbo-to-Cambridge route.
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
Rum River, Highway 7 Public Water Access SiteHighway 7 resolves as WAS00318 at Rum River mile 71.2, and Walbo resolves as WAS00274 at river mile 56.8 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
Take-out
Rum River, Walbo Public Water Access SiteThe St. Francis gauge is far downstream. Use it as an official same-river proxy, then make visual checks for actual depth and wood at Highway 7.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Highway 7 resolves as WAS00318 at Rum River mile 71.2, and Walbo resolves as WAS00274 at river mile 56.8 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
- The St. Francis gauge is far downstream. Use it as an official same-river proxy, then make visual checks for actual depth and wood at Highway 7.
- The current DNR tree alert is upstream between river miles 101 and 98. Do not extend this route upstream toward Princeton unless current DNR notices and local obstruction checks are clear.
Watch for
- Downed trees, snags, sweepers, and blind wooded bends.
- Low-water scraping and slow travel while the St. Francis gauge is in the official low band.
- Private banks, muddy exits, cold water, storm debris, and limited bailout options.
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
Data and sources
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 | Rum River near St. Francis, 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 | 1,000 cfs to 2,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 600 cfs |
| High threshold | 3,000 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 Rum River near St. Francis |
| 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.
- Map 2 access chainHighway 7 RM 71.2 to Walbo RM 56.8
MN DNR Rum River Map 2 places Highway 7 and Walbo on the Milaca-to-Isanti segment, which DNR describes as wider, deeper, slower, and suitable for beginning and intermediate canoeists at normal levels.
- Public access recordsWAS00318 to WAS00274
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves the Highway 7 and Walbo Rum River access sites with coordinates and river-mile records.
- Official DNR bands600 / 1,000-2,000 / 3,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the St. Francis gauge as Scrapable below 600 cfs, Low from 600 to 1,000, Medium from 1,000 to 2,000, High from 2,000 to 3,000, and Very High above 3,000.
- Current gauge check729 cfs at 2026-07-17 05:00
The current MN DNR feed placed St. Francis in the official low band during this run, so the route ships with low-water and visual-check caveats.
- Alert boundaryCurrent tree alert upstream of selected route
DNR warns of a large tree blocking the river between river miles 101 and 98; this selected route starts well downstream at Highway 7 river mile 71.2.
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.
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
Rum River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Rum River?
Paddle Today watches Rum River near St. Francis, MN and treats 1,000 cfs to 2,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Rum River route start and end?
This route starts at Rum River, Highway 7 Public Water Access Site and ends at Rum River, Walbo Public Water Access Site, about About 14.4 mi on the water.
Is this Rum River 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
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.