See all 8 routes on St. Louis River
Minnesota | Duluth Area
St. Louis River
Floodwood to Paupores
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 from Floodwood, rejoin the St. Louis, and take out at Paupores for the rapid-marked lower Map 2 connector. The Floodwood gauge is direct at the launch corridor and was below scrapable during this run.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
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.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Floodwood River access resolves as WAS01940; DNR Map 2 places the St. Louis confluence about one-half mile downstream from the city access.
- Paupores resolves as WAS00609 at DNR river mile 61.8.
- Paupores is the planned finish. Continuing to Brookston is a separate route with its own campsite and railroad-bridge finish context.
Watch for
- Class I-II rapid sections below Floodwood, including rapids DNR says can be dangerous in high water.
- Large-island channel decisions, cold water, wood, strainers, private banks, and limited access between Floodwood and Paupores.
- Low-water rocks and shoals when the Floodwood gauge is below 24.4 ft; high or rising water can remove recovery time in the rapid sections.
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 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.
- 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 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.
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 Floodwood River Public Water Access Site and ends at St. Louis River, Paupores Public Water Access Site, about About 11.3 mi including the Floodwood River access approach 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.
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