See all 8 routes on St. Louis River
Minnesota | Duluth Area
St. Louis River
County Road 29 to Floodwood
Check current paddling conditions for this St. Louis River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
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
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
Launch at County Road 29 and finish at the Floodwood public access for the short above-town St. Louis connector. The direct Floodwood DNR gauge was below the official scrapable floor during this run.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
St. Louis River, Co Rd 29 Public Water Access SiteCounty Road 29 resolves as WAS02129 at DNR river mile 78.5.
Take-out
Floodwood River Public Water Access SiteFloodwood River access resolves as WAS01940. DNR Map 2 places the St. Louis/Floodwood River confluence at river mile 72.6 and notes the trailer access is about one-half mile up the Floodwood River.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- County Road 29 resolves as WAS02129 at DNR river mile 78.5.
- Floodwood River access resolves as WAS01940. DNR Map 2 places the St. Louis/Floodwood River confluence at river mile 72.6 and notes the trailer access is about one-half mile up the Floodwood River.
- Identify the Floodwood River turn and city access before launching so the take-out is not missed in low light or high current.
Watch for
- Low-water scraping and shallow riffles when the Floodwood gauge is below the official scrapable floor.
- Wood, strainers, private banks, cold water, and changing current near the Floodwood River confluence.
- Short-mile complacency; this is still a remote-feeling St. Louis reach with limited bailouts.
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
Why this score
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. Louis River at Floodwood, CSAH8 |
| 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 | 28.00 ft to 37.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 24.40 ft |
| High threshold | 42.00 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 St. Louis River at Floodwood |
| 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.
- Map sequenceCounty Road 29 RM 78.5 to Floodwood RM 72.6 plus side-channel access
MN DNR St. Louis Map 2 places County Road 29, the Floodwood River confluence, and the Floodwood trailer access in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWAS02129 to WAS01940
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 29 and Floodwood River access with coordinates, administrators, and water-trail river-mile context.
- Official DNR bands24.4 / 28-37 / 42 ft
MN DNR interprets the Floodwood gauge as Scrapable below 24.4 ft, Low from 24.4 to 28, Medium from 28 to 37, High from 37 to 42, and Very High above 42.
- Current gauge check23.26 ft at 2026-07-22 10:45 PM
The current MN DNR feed placed Floodwood below the official scrapable floor during this run, so this route should score as too low today.
- Safety contextSteady current; occasional shallow rapids
DNR describes this segment as steady current with occasional shallow rapids and warns that Class I-II rapids in the broader segment can be dangerous in high water.
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.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
St. Louis River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling St. Louis River?
Paddle Today watches St. Louis River at Floodwood, CSAH8 and treats 28.00 ft to 37.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this St. Louis River route start and end?
This route starts at St. Louis River, Co Rd 29 Public Water Access Site and ends at Floodwood River Public Water Access Site, about About 6.4 mi including the Floodwood River take-out approach on the water.
Is this St. Louis 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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