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See all 8 routes on St. Louis River

Minnesota | Northeast Minnesota

St. Louis River

Forbes to Zim

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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Open access map
Distance12.9 mi
DifficultyHard
Typical timeAbout 5 hr to 7 hr
ShuttleCar shuttle
The rocky St. Louis River spreads across a broad valley surrounded by fall foliage in Jay Cooke State Park, Minnesota.
River contextSt. Louis River in Jay Cooke State Park river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Lorie Shaull

Need to know

Why this call
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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

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Checking trend.

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Next 8 hours

Short-route forecast

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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

On-water distance12.9 miForbes to Zim
DifficultyhardThis is an upper-river public-access gap with Class I-II context, dam awareness at Forbes, remote cold-water exposure, and an official gauge inside the corridor.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage Zim first, then drive back to Forbes. Check the Forbes DNR gauge and walk both carry-in accesses before launching because the current run-start reading was below the official scrapable floor.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is known. Use the DNR public accesses, follow Minnesota boating/PFD rules, and check current St. Louis River water-trail alerts.
CampingDay tripTreat this as a day trip. No designated on-route campsite was verified between Forbes and Zim; use only separately confirmed public or private campground options off route.
SeasonMay-SepDNR says upper St. Louis flow usually peaks in late April and falls through summer. Rain can quickly change the shallow boulder and wood picture, while low summer readings can mean dragging.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

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TomorrowChecking

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WeekendChecking

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at the Forbes DNR public access and take out at Zim for the missing upper-St. Louis connector between the County-Road-95-to-Forbes and Zim-to-Toivola cards. The route uses the direct Forbes DNR gauge and carries low-water, dam, cold-water, and remote-rescue caveats.

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Prepare this trip

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Start

Put-in

St. Louis River, Forbes Public Water Access Site
Open map

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

Finish

Take-out

St. Louis River, Zim Public Water Access Site
Open map

Zim resolves in Minnesota public-water-access GIS as WAS00613 near DNR river mile 113.0.

Plan this segment

Skip map

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End of map
Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

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

Watch for

  • Below-scrapable Forbes readings, exposed boulder beds, rocky shallows, and possible dragging.
  • Class I-II current, fresh wood, strainers, cold water, remote banks, and limited services.
  • Forbes dam/portage context at the upstream boundary and private-property limits throughout the corridor.

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.

The rocky St. Louis River spreads across a broad valley surrounded by fall foliage in Jay Cooke State Park, Minnesota.
St. Louis River in Jay Cooke State Park river-level photo — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Lorie Shaull
CC BY 2.0

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

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Gauge inputChecking

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Weather inputChecking

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Next stepChecking

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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.

Why
  • Checking evidence-strength notes.
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
Evidence strength 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.

  • Official access sequenceForbes RM 125.9 to Zim RM 113.0

    MN DNR St. Louis Map 1 places Forbes, Townline Road, Stony Brook, and Zim in downstream order, supporting a 12.9-mile public-access connector.

    Source

  • Public access recordsWAS00614 to WAS00613

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

    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 check2.77 ft at 2026-07-23 05:45 CDT

    The current MN DNR feed placed Forbes below the official scrapable floor during this run, so the route should score as too low today.

    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

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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 232 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 95 to ForbesNortheast MinnesotaHard · About 18.6 miCounty Road 95 to ZimNortheast MinnesotaHard · About 31.5 miFloodwood to PauporesDuluth AreaHard · About 11.3 mi including the Floodwood River access approach

Nearby routes by distance

Little Fork RiverVeterans Park to Highway 73 Bridge · about 34 mi awayModerate · 15.2 miCloquet RiverIndian Lake Access to Bear Lake Road · about 36 mi awayHard · About 10.3 miLittle Fork RiverHighway 73 Bridge to Samuelson Park · about 37 mi awayModerate · 22.8 miLittle Fork RiverHighway 73 Bridge to Silverdale · about 37 mi awayModerate · 26.9 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, Forbes Public Water Access Site and ends at St. Louis River, Zim Public Water Access Site, about 12.9 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.

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