See all 9 routes on St. Louis River
Minnesota | Northeast Minnesota
St. Louis RiverCounty Road 95 to Zim
Extended upper St. Louis River itinerary from County Road 95 through Forbes to Zim, passing the current Forbes DNR gauge.
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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
Launch at County Road 95, pass the Forbes direct gauge, and finish at Zim on a long upper St. Louis River itinerary.
Access map
Put-in
St. Louis River, County Rd 95 Public Water Access SiteCounty Road 95 resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS02152 at DNR river mile 144.5.
Take-out
St. Louis River, Zim Public Water Access SiteForbes resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00614 near DNR river mile 125.9.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out before launching. This combined route joins the researched st-louis-river-county-road-95-forbes and st-louis-river-forbes-zim access corridors and requires a longer rural shuttle.
Additional access notes
- Forbes Dam is downstream of the take-out corridor. Do not miss the public access or continue without a separate portage and dam plan.
- Zim resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00613 near DNR river mile 113.0.
- Keep the trip framed from public access to public access. Do not use private banks or dam infrastructure for routine stops.
More route and safety guidance
- DNR Map 1 warns about Class I-III rapids, boulder beds, and a dam below Highway 53 on the upper St. Louis. Low readings can mean dragging, while rising water reduces recovery time around wood.
- Use the named DNR public accesses only. Expect remote banks, cold water, limited services, and few clean bailout options.
- This longer combined itinerary requires an early start, a staged shuttle, and a conservative turnaround decision even when the direct gauge is in range.
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | St. Louis River nr Forbes, US53 |
| 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 |
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| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | 3.70 ft to 7.60 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.00 ft |
| High threshold | 8.00 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 near Forbes |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Qualifying gauge relationshipSt. Louis River nr Forbes, US53
DNR site 244 is at Forbes inside this combined route and carries official interpreted stage bands.
- Public-access continuityCounty Road 95 to Zim
The route joins adjacent researched segments whose shared endpoint coordinates and official public-access records match.
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 St. Louis River
All 9Nearby routes within 75 miles
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