See all 21 routes on Sauk River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Sauk River
Oak Township County Park to Spring Hill County Park
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
Paddle the DNR-recommended Oak Township-to-Spring Hill Sauk River day through open lowlands and wooded bends. It is generally easy at normal water, but current low-band readings can make it slow, shallow, or weedy.
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
Oak Township County Park carry-in accessDNR Map 1 places Oak Township County Park at river mile 67.0 and Spring Hill County Park at river mile 56.2/56.1 with campsite and restroom context.
Take-out
Spring Hill County Park carry-in accessThe St. Martin gauge is downstream of the take-out. Use it as the official interpreted corridor check, not a substitute for same-day depth and wood inspection.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- DNR Map 1 places Oak Township County Park at river mile 67.0 and Spring Hill County Park at river mile 56.2/56.1 with campsite and restroom context.
- The St. Martin gauge is downstream of the take-out. Use it as the official interpreted corridor check, not a substitute for same-day depth and wood inspection.
- Most shoreland away from public accesses and designated campsites should be treated as private or not available for casual stops.
Watch for
- Shallow, weedy, or slow travel when the St. Martin gauge is below the official medium band.
- Fallen trees, bridge debris, and fresh strainers after storm rises.
- Private banks, occupied campsites, and county-park rules at both endpoints.
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 | Sauk River nr St. Martin, CR12 |
| 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 | 15.00 ft to 17.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 14.00 ft |
| High threshold | 20.00 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 Sauk River near St. Martin |
| 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 recommended routeOak Township County Park to Spring Hill County Park, 10.8 mi
MN DNR Map 1 lists Oak Township County Park to Spring Hill County Park as the recommended day trip and describes it as a long, easy route through open lowlands and tree-lined corridors.
- Endpoint amenitiesOak RM 67.0; Spring Hill RM 56.2/56.1
DNR Map 1 maps Oak Township County Park with carry-in access, watercraft campsite, rest area, and toilets, and maps Spring Hill County Park with carry-in accesses, campsite, toilet, rest area, and drinking water.
- Official DNR bands14 / 15-17 / 20 ft
MN DNR interprets St. Martin as Scrapable below 14 ft, Low from 14 to 15, Medium from 15 to 17, High from 17 to 20, and Very High above 20.
- Current gauge check14.58 ft at 2026-07-23 12:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed St. Martin in the official low band during this run, below the preferred medium band.
- Safety rulesDams, snags, private banks, designated campsites only
DNR Sauk materials warn about dams, fallen trees, occasional fences on the northern water trail, and private-property limits; trip-planning text says to camp only in designated campsites or allowed public land.
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
Sauk River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Sauk River?
Paddle Today watches Sauk River nr St. Martin, CR12 and treats 15.00 ft to 17.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Sauk River route start and end?
This route starts at Oak Township County Park carry-in access and ends at Spring Hill County Park carry-in access, about About 10.8 mi on the water.
Is this Sauk 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
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.