See all 8 routes on St. Louis River
Minnesota | Duluth Area
St. Louis River
Zim to Toivola
Check current paddling conditions for this St. Louis River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
Get the answer fast, then scan the route.
Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
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
Best window today
Checking weather.
Today by hour
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Quick facts
Plan
Dial in the shuttle, distance, and access.
Use this section once the route looks viable and you need to turn it into an actual trip plan.
Access plan
Access, shuttle, and map
Launch at Zim and take out at Toivola for the upper-St. Louis connector below the existing Forbes-to-Zim route. The Forbes DNR gauge is an upstream proxy and was below the official scrapable floor during this run, so low-water dragging is the default assumption.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Put-in
St. Louis River, Zim Public Water Access SiteOpen mapMinnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Zim as WAS00613 at river mile 113.0 and Toivola as WAS00615 at river mile 94.2.
Take-out
St. Louis River, Toivola Public Water Access SiteOpen mapThe Forbes gauge is upstream of Zim. It has official DNR interpretation bands, but it is still a corridor proxy and should be paired with launch-side depth checks.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Zim as WAS00613 at river mile 113.0 and Toivola as WAS00615 at river mile 94.2.
- The Forbes gauge is upstream of Zim. It has official DNR interpretation bands, but it is still a corridor proxy and should be paired with launch-side depth checks.
- Do not continue below Toivola into the longer Toivola-to-County-Road-29 route unless that separate plan, campsite posture, and downstream gauge caveat are already accepted.
Watch for
- Below-scrapable Forbes readings, exposed boulder beds, shallow riffles, and possible dragging.
- Class I rapids near river mile 99, cold water, fresh wood, strainers, remote banks, and limited services.
- Private shoreland away from DNR accesses or designated/legal public campsites.
Route gallery
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Sources
Check the data behind today's call.
Use this section when the page shows stale data, limited confidence, or a call you want to verify before driving.
Why this scoreToday's data confidence is checking
Data confidence mostly comes down to three things: how direct the gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
OutlookTomorrow and weekend
This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind 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 |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 3.70 ft to 7.60 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.00 ft |
| High threshold | 8.00 ft |
| Data confidence 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 |
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 sequenceZim RM 113.0 to Toivola RM 94.2
MN DNR St. Louis Map 1 places Zim, Toivola, the Stony Creek campsite, and the intervening bridge and rapid features in sequence on the upper water trail.
- Public access recordsWAS00613 to WAS00615
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves Zim and Toivola as DNR-administered St. Louis River public access sites with river miles and coordinates.
- 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.
- Current gauge check2.92 ft at 2026-07-16 18:45
The current MN DNR feed placed Forbes below the official scrapable floor during this run, so the route currently scores too low.
- Camping postureStony Creek watercraft campsite
DNR Map 1 marks a Stony Creek watercraft campsite at river mile 99.0 between Zim and Toivola; use only designated sites or otherwise legal public-land camping.
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
Photos, paddler notes, and updates.
See what others have shared, then add a condition report, upload photos, or flag anything that needs fixing.
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 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, Zim Public Water Access Site and ends at St. Louis River, Toivola Public Water Access Site, about About 18.8 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.