See all 11 routes on St. Croix River
Minnesota | Lower St. Croix
St. Croix River
William O'Brien State Park hand-carry launch to Boom Site Landing
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
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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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 from William O'Brien State Park and finish at Boom Site for the next lower St. Croix segment toward Stillwater. The water is generally nontechnical, but this route needs a lower-river conditions check for wind, wake, shallow bars, and landing status.
Prepare this trip
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Put-in
William O'Brien downstream shoreline hand-carry (provisional)William O'Brien's main ramp is closed. DNR allows canoes and kayaks farther down the shoreline, but the saved pin near Riverside Trail and Shelter 1 is provisional and posted signs or park staff must confirm the exact launch.
Take-out
Boom Site public water accessBoom Site is the downstream public-water-access take-out north of Stillwater and can be busy in summer.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- William O'Brien's main ramp is closed. DNR allows canoes and kayaks farther down the shoreline, but the saved pin near Riverside Trail and Shelter 1 is provisional and posted signs or park staff must confirm the exact launch.
- Boom Site is the downstream public-water-access take-out north of Stillwater and can be busy in summer.
- Do not use private banks as default stops; NPS lower-river materials emphasize private land and special camping rules.
Watch for
- Wind and motorboat wake on the broader lower St. Croix.
- Shallow water and exposed bars near Arcola when St. Croix Falls is near or below the DNR scrapable band.
- NPS zebra-mussel control restrictions near the Soo Line High Bridge; avoid upstream boat movement past that control point from downstream waters.
- Cold-water exposure and slower rescue options outside crowded summer weekends.
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 | St. Croix River at St. Croix Falls, WI |
| 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 | 3,000 cfs to 8,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 2,000 cfs |
| High threshold | 11,000 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 St. Croix River at St. Croix Falls |
| 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.
- Public access recordsWilliam O'Brien SPK WAS00278 / Boomsite WAS02194
Minnesota public-water-access GIS places William O'Brien State Park Landing at river mile 37.0 and Boomsite at river mile 25.6, supporting an 11.4-mile public-access segment.
- Official DNR bands2,000 / 3,000-8,000 / 11,000 cfs
MN DNR interprets the St. Croix Falls gauge as scrapable below 2,000 cfs, medium from 3,000 to 8,000 cfs, and very high above 11,000 cfs.
- Current gauge check1,890 cfs at 2026-07-23 20:00 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed St. Croix Falls below the official scrapable floor during this run, so this lower-river route should score as too low until water improves.
- Lower-river characterNo rapids, shallow bars, powerboats common
NPS lower St. Croix materials place William O'Brien and Boom Site on the same paddling-guide corridor and warn about shallow areas, powerboats, private land, and special camping rules.
- Put-in statusMain ramp closed; provisional shoreline hand-carry
Minnesota DNR's current construction page closes the main ramp while allowing canoes and kayaks farther down the shoreline. The provisional launch coordinate is map-derived and must be confirmed from posted signs or park staff.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- NPS lower St. Croix paddling guide PDF
- NPS Saint Croix boating rules
- MN DNR February 17, 2026 William O'Brien access update
- MN DNR Lake Alice construction and current access status
- MN DNR William O'Brien State Park
- MN DNR river levels
- MN DNR river-level site data
- Minnesota public water access feature service
- USGS 05340500 monitoring location
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.
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Quick answers
St. Croix River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling St. Croix River?
Paddle Today watches St. Croix River at St. Croix Falls, WI and treats 3,000 cfs to 8,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this St. Croix River route start and end?
This route starts at William O'Brien downstream shoreline hand-carry (provisional) and ends at Boom Site public water access, about 11.4 mi on the water.
Is this St. Croix 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.
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