See all 9 routes on St. Louis River
Minnesota | Duluth Area
St. Louis RiverFloodwood to Paupores
Lower Map 2 St. Louis day route from Floodwood to Paupores, using the Floodwood interpreted DNR gauge with explicit Class I-II rapid and island-channel caveats.
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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 from Floodwood, rejoin the St. Louis, and take out at Paupores for the rapid-marked lower Map 2 connector.
Access map
Put-in
Floodwood River Public Water Access SiteFloodwood River access resolves as WAS01940; DNR Map 2 places the St. Louis confluence about one-half mile downstream from the city access.
Take-out
St. Louis River, Paupores Public Water Access SitePaupores resolves as WAS00609 at DNR river mile 61.8.
Road shuttle
Stage Paupores first, then drive to the Floodwood city access. Confirm the Floodwood River route back to the St. Louis mainstem and the Paupores take-out before launching.
Additional access notes
- Paupores is the planned finish. Continuing to Brookston is a separate route with its own campsite and railroad-bridge finish context.
More route and safety guidance
- The Floodwood gauge was below the official scrapable floor during this run; low water can expose rocks and make the rapid sections slow or abusive to boats.
- Do not continue below Paupores unless the separate Paupores-to-Brookston route, campsite plan, and downstream railroad-bridge finish are already accepted.
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Photos and recent reports
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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 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 |
| Preferred range | 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 |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Map sequenceFloodwood RM 72.6 to Paupores RM 61.8
MN DNR St. Louis Map 2 places Floodwood, Class I-II rapid sections, the large-island split, and Paupores trailer access in downstream order.
- Public access recordsWAS01940 to WAS00609
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Floodwood River access and Paupores as public access sites with source-backed coordinates.
- 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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-2223.26 ft at 2026-07-22 10:45 PM
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.
- Safety contextClass I-II rapids; high-water danger
DNR Map 2 marks lower St. Louis Class I-II rapids below Floodwood, and the segment page warns that some Class I-II rapids 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.
Other routes nearby
More on St. Louis River
All 9Nearby routes within 75 miles
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