See all 3 routes on Shell Rock River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Shell Rock RiverFrank Hall Park to St. Nicholas Landing / Albert Lea Lake
DNR-recommended Albert Lea Lake paddle between Frank Hall Park and St. Nicholas Landing on the Shell Rock water trail, with public ramps, state-park camping nearby, wind caveats, and official Gordonsville gauge bands downstream.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Use Frank Hall Park and St. Nicholas Landing for the DNR-recommended Albert Lea Lake option on the Shell Rock water trail. This is a lake paddle, so wind and weather can override the gauge score.
Access map
Put-in
Frank Hall Park public accessMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Frank Hall Park and St. Nicholas Landing with coordinates, launch type, parking, and water-trail metadata.
Take-out
St. Nicholas Landing public accessThe Gordonsville gauge is downstream on the Shell Rock corridor, so treat it as a proxy for water-trail level context rather than a lake-wave forecast.
Road shuttle
Stage at St. Nicholas Landing, then launch from Frank Hall Park. Because this route is on Albert Lea Lake, check wind, thunderstorms, and water quality in addition to the downstream Shell Rock gauge.
Additional access notes
- Do not continue upstream into the Bridge Avenue Dam portage or downstream past St. Nicholas without separate route planning.
More route and safety guidance
- DNR flags dams and a low bridge on the Shell Rock water trail; lake wind, waves, thunderstorms, and cold water can be more important than gauge height on this selected route.
- Use Frank Hall Park, Myre-Big Island State Park, and St. Nicholas Landing as the public access/camping framework. Do not assume private shoreland is available for stops.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
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Conditions
Check the forecast and local water levels before launching.
Recent trend
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Gauge source
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Detailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- DNR recommended lake routeExplore Albert Lea Lake from public trailer accesses
MN DNR recommends put-in/take-out at one of three Albert Lea Lake trailer accesses, including Frank Hall Park and St. Nicholas Landing, with route length varying because it is on the lake only.
- DNR map access sequenceFrank Hall RM 16.8 to St. Nicholas RM 13.6
MN DNR Shell Rock map labels Frank Hall Park with trailer access, rest area, fishing pier, and toilet, Myre-Big Island State Park with camping and amenities, and St. Nicholas Landing trailer access.
- Public access recordsFrank Hall WAS01395; St. Nicholas WAS01392
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves both Albert Lea Lake access sites with coordinates, administrators, launch type, parking, and river-mile metadata.
- Official DNR bands86 / 86.5-89.5 / 90 ft
MN DNR interprets Gordonsville as Scrapable below 86 ft, Low from 86 to 86.5, Medium from 86.5 to 89.5, High from 89.5 to 90, and Very High above 90.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-2386.94 ft at 2026-07-23 12:00 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Shell Rock River
All 3Nearby routes within 75 miles
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