Paddle TodayFind the best paddle near you today.
RequestRequest

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 8 routes on St. Louis River

Minnesota | Northeast Minnesota

St. Louis River

County Road 95 to Forbes

Check current paddling conditions for this St. Louis River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
Checking live data

Route snapshot

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

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

LevelCheckingChecking
TrendCheckingChecking 24h change
WeatherLoadingAir: No reading
RainLoadingRecent rain: Checking

Gauge

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

------------

Weather

Best window today

Checking weather.

Today by hour

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
----Loading--

Quick facts

On-water distanceAbout 18.6 miCounty Road 95 to Forbes
DifficultyhardDNR Map 1 puts this reach below the roughest Skibo-to-Highway-100 boulder-bed corridor, but it still has remote cold-water exposure, logjam history upstream, a gauge inside the reach, and Forbes Dam at the finish boundary.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the Forbes take-out first, then drive upstream to the County Road 95 DNR access. Identify the Forbes access and downstream dam boundary before launch so the day ends at the public access, not at dam structures.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Use the named DNR public accesses, follow Minnesota boating/PFD rules, and check current St. Louis River water-trail alerts before committing.
CampingDay tripNo designated on-route watercraft campsite was confirmed for this 18.6-mile split. Treat it as a long day trip or use legal nearby basecamp options only if separately reserved or confirmed.
SeasonMay-SepDNR says upper St. Louis flow usually peaks in late April and falls through summer. Low water exposes rocks and sand, while rain can quickly sharpen current around bends, boulder beds, and wood.

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 County Road 95 and take out at Forbes for the downstream upper St. Louis section below the existing County-Road-4-to-95 card. The Forbes DNR gauge is direct at the take-out corridor, but low-water scraping, boulder beds, wood, and Forbes Dam discipline drive the trip call.

DirectionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap
Start

Put-in

St. Louis River, County Rd 95 Public Water Access SiteOpen map

County Road 95 resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02152 at DNR river mile 144.5.

Finish

Take-out

St. Louis River, Forbes Public Water Access SiteOpen map

Forbes resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00614 near DNR river mile 125.9.

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • County Road 95 resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02152 at DNR river mile 144.5.
  • Forbes resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00614 near DNR river mile 125.9.
  • Forbes Dam is downstream of the take-out corridor. Do not miss the public access or continue without a separate portage and dam plan.

Watch for

  • Boulder beds, shallow ledges, Class I-III context on the DNR map, and long scraping at low Forbes readings.
  • Wood, strainers, cold water, limited exits, and remote rescue exposure over an 18.6-mile day.
  • Dam, portage, and Highway 53 corridor hazards if extending or if the take-out is missed.

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.

No approved route photos yet

Start the gallery with shots of the access, river character, or any detail that helps paddlers know what this run actually looks like.

Share photos or report conditions

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.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge inputChecking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather inputChecking

Waiting on weather.

Next stepChecking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

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.

Why
  • Checking data confidence notes.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend

This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.

TomorrowChecking

Waiting on forecast.

WeekendChecking

Waiting on forecast.

Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteSt. Louis River nr Forbes, US53
Gauge heightChecking
DischargeChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band3.70 ft to 7.60 ft
Low threshold3.00 ft
High threshold8.00 ft
Data confidence behind the rangeOfficial data source
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreMN DNR river-level interpretation bands for St. Louis River near Forbes
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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 95 RM 144.6 to Forbes RM 125.9

    MN DNR St. Louis Map 1 places County Road 95, the Embarrass River, Mud Hen Creek, the Highway 53 river-level gauge, Townline Road, Forbes Dam, and Forbes carry-in access in downstream order.

    Source

  • Public access recordsWAS02152 to WAS00614

    Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 95 and Forbes as DNR-administered St. Louis River public access sites with river-mile records and coordinates.

    Source

  • Official DNR bands3.0 / 3.7-7.6 / 8.0 ft

    MN DNR interprets the Forbes gauge as Scrapable below 3.0 ft, Low from 3.0 to 3.7, Medium from 3.7 to 7.6, High from 7.6 to 8.0, and Very High above 8.0.

    Source

  • Current gauge check2.91 ft at 2026-07-17 12:45 AM

    The current MN DNR feed placed Forbes below the official scrapable floor during this run, so the route currently scores too low and needs a local depth check.

    Source

  • Upper-river hazardsBoulder beds, logjams, Forbes Dam

    DNR warns that the upper St. Louis has Class I-III rapids, boulder beds that may damage watercraft, consistent logjams near the upper corridor, and a dam below Highway 53.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

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

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Minnesota

All 239 routes
Minnesota route guideBrowse every tracked Minnesota route.Northeast MinnesotaJump to routes in this region.

More on St. Louis River

All 8
County Road 29 to FloodwoodDuluth AreaModerate · About 6.4 mi including the Floodwood River take-out approachCounty Road 4 to County Road 95Northeast MinnesotaHard · About 7.3 miFloodwood to PauporesDuluth AreaHard · About 11.3 mi including the Floodwood River access approachForbes to ZimNortheast MinnesotaHard · 12.9 mi

Nearby routes by distance

Cloquet RiverBear Lake Road to Island Lake · about 24 mi awayHard · About 26.5 miCloquet RiverIndian Lake Access to Bear Lake Road · about 26 mi awayHard · About 10.3 miCloquet RiverIsland Lake Dam to Bachelor Road · about 29 mi awayModerate · 8.1 miCloquet RiverBachelor Road to Highway 53 Wayside · about 31 mi awayModerate · About 10.3 mi

Quick answers

St. Louis River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling St. Louis River?

Paddle Today watches St. Louis River nr Forbes, US53 and treats 3.70 ft to 7.60 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, County Rd 95 Public Water Access Site and ends at St. Louis River, Forbes Public Water Access Site, about About 18.6 mi on the water.

Is this St. Louis River route good for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.

Flag a change

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a changeEmail update