See all 25 routes on Sauk River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Sauk River
Richmond City Park to Horseshoe Lake
Check current paddling conditions for this Sauk River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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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 Richmond City Park and finish at Horseshoe Lake for the short upstream Chain of Lakes connector. It links cleanly into the existing Horseshoe-to-Lions-Park card without duplicating the downstream dam-boundary route.
Put-in
Sauk River, Richmond Public Water Access SiteOpen mapRichmond resolves as WAS00328 at river mile 31.5 and Horseshoe Lake resolves as WAS01770 at river mile 29.9 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
Take-out
Horseshoe Lake Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe St. Martin gauge is upstream of the route, so make a local visual check for channel depth, weeds, and bridge clearance.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Richmond resolves as WAS00328 at river mile 31.5 and Horseshoe Lake resolves as WAS01770 at river mile 29.9 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
- The St. Martin gauge is upstream of the route, so make a local visual check for channel depth, weeds, and bridge clearance.
- Do not drift into the downstream Lions Park / Cold Spring Dam plan unless that separate card and take-out are staged.
Watch for
- Wind and boat traffic on the Chain of Lakes.
- Low-water channels, weeds, bridge approaches, cold water, and private shoreline.
- Downstream dam and portage context if the group decides to continue beyond Horseshoe Lake.
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.
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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 | 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 |
| 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 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.
- Official map routeRichmond RM 31.5 to Horseshoe Lake RM 29.9
MN DNR Sauk Map 2 places Richmond City Park, bridge crossings, Horseshoe Lake, and the downstream Chain of Lakes accesses in order.
- Public access recordsWAS00328 to WAS01770
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Richmond and Horseshoe Lake as public access sites with coordinates and water-trail river miles.
- 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 check14.71 ft at 2026-07-23 16:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed St. Martin in the official low band during this run.
- Safety contextChain of Lakes, dams, snags, and downstream rapids
DNR describes the Chain of Lakes near Richmond and warns that Sauk River hazards include dams, rapids, portage routes, and snags.
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
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 Sauk River, Richmond Public Water Access Site and ends at Horseshoe Lake Public Water Access Site, about About 1.6 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
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.