See all 8 routes on St. Louis River
Minnesota | Duluth Area
St. Louis River
Toivola to Floodwood
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 at Toivola, pass County Road 29, and finish in the direct Floodwood gauge corridor.
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
St. Louis River, Toivola Public Water Access SiteMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Toivola as WAS00615 at river mile 94.2 and County Road 29 as WAS02129 at river mile 78.5.
Take-out
Floodwood River Public Water Access SiteThe Floodwood gauge is downstream of the take-out. Treat it as a same-corridor proxy and check local depth at Toivola and County Road 29 before launching.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Toivola as WAS00615 at river mile 94.2 and County Road 29 as WAS02129 at river mile 78.5.
- The Floodwood gauge is downstream of the take-out. Treat it as a same-corridor proxy and check local depth at Toivola and County Road 29 before launching.
- County Road 29 is the planned finish. Do not continue toward Floodwood without a separate shuttle, daylight, and low/high-water plan.
- County Road 29 resolves as WAS02129 at DNR river mile 78.5.
- Floodwood River access resolves as WAS01940. DNR Map 2 places the St. Louis/Floodwood River confluence at river mile 72.6 and notes the trailer access is about one-half mile up the Floodwood River.
- Identify the Floodwood River turn and city access before launching so the take-out is not missed in low light or high current.
Watch for
- Low-water dragging and exposed rocks when the Floodwood gauge is below the official 24.4 ft scrapable floor.
- Cold water, fresh wood, strainers, remote banks, and limited road access between bridges.
- Private shoreland away from DNR accesses and designated/legal public campsites.
- Low-water scraping and shallow riffles when the Floodwood gauge is below the official scrapable floor.
- Wood, strainers, private banks, cold water, and changing current near the Floodwood River confluence.
- Short-mile complacency; this is still a remote-feeling St. Louis reach with limited bailouts.
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.
- Qualifying gauge relationshipSt. Louis River at Floodwood, CSAH8
DNR site 338 is at Floodwood at the downstream end of this combined route and supplies official interpreted stage bands.
- Public-access continuityToivola to Floodwood
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.
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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
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 St. Louis River, Toivola Public Water Access Site and ends at Floodwood River Public Water Access Site, about About 22.1 mi on the water.
Is this St. Louis River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.