See all 25 routes on Sauk River
Minnesota | Central Minnesota
Sauk River
Spring Hill County Park to Frogtown Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Sauk 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 Spring Hill County Park and finish at Frogtown Park for a long upper-to-central Sauk day into Cold Spring. This is the additive family planner when the St. Martin gauge is solid and you want the full upper corridor without extending into the St. Cloud finish.
Put-in
Spring Hill County Park carry-in accessOpen mapSpring Hill County Park is a cleaner park launch than the simple St. Martin carry-in, but you still need to check same-day county parking and staging rules before leaving a vehicle.
Take-out
Frogtown Park canoe landingOpen mapFrogtown launches and lands below the Cold Spring dam area, so make sure you are using the signed downstream canoe landing rather than any upstream obstruction-adjacent spot.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Spring Hill County Park is a cleaner park launch than the simple St. Martin carry-in, but you still need to check same-day county parking and staging rules before leaving a vehicle.
- Frogtown launches and lands below the Cold Spring dam area, so make sure you are using the signed downstream canoe landing rather than any upstream obstruction-adjacent spot.
- Rockville County Park is the cleanest intentional overnight split because it is the documented watercraft-campsite stop on this corridor.
Watch for
- Long-mileage fatigue and weather exposure on a route that is easy in character but not short.
- Shallow riffles, slow vegetation-choked miles, and extra drag if the St. Martin gauge trends toward 14 ft.
- Fresh wood, strainers, and cold-water consequences far from your planned 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.
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.
- Current level15.01 ft at 8:00 AM
MN DNR listed the St. Martin gauge at 15.01 ft on July 16, 2026, which lands in the official Medium band.
- DNR bands14 / 15 / 17 / 20 ft
MN DNR interprets the St. Martin gauge 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.
- Route shape34.4 river miles
MN DNR Map 2 places Spring Hill County Park at river mile 56.2 and Frogtown Park at river mile 21.8.
- Camping supportMid-route watercraft campsite
Rockville County Park sits along this corridor and Stearns County documents a watercraft campsite there, giving this longer route a defensible overnight split instead of forcing a pure ultra-day.
- Access supportOfficial county and city endpoints
Stearns County still documents Spring Hill County Park on the Sauk River, and Cold Spring says Frogtown Park has a canoe landing on the Sauk.
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 Spring Hill County Park carry-in access and ends at Frogtown Park canoe landing, about 34.4 mi on the water.
Is this Sauk 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.