See all 3 routes on Straight River
Minnesota | Southern Minnesota
Straight River
County Road 45 to Medford City Park
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
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
Checking weather.
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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 County Road 45 and take out at Medford City Park for the short Straight River split below Clinton Falls. Use the downstream Faribault DNR gauge as a conservative proxy and make a visual call at the put-in.
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
Straight River, County Road 45 Public Water Access SiteCounty Road 45 resolves as WAS02043 at river mile 20.8 and Medford resolves as WAS02042 at river mile 17.2 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
Take-out
Straight River, Medford Public Water Access SiteThis card starts below the Clinton Falls portage area and ends before the downstream former Walcott Mill Dam / Kroghs route. Do not stretch either direction without a separate plan.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- County Road 45 resolves as WAS02043 at river mile 20.8 and Medford resolves as WAS02042 at river mile 17.2 in Minnesota public-water-access GIS.
- This card starts below the Clinton Falls portage area and ends before the downstream former Walcott Mill Dam / Kroghs route. Do not stretch either direction without a separate plan.
- The Faribault gauge is downstream of the selected reach, so local shallow spots or wood at County Road 45 can make the route unsuitable even when the gauge is in the official medium band.
Watch for
- Fresh strainers, narrow bends, shallow riffles, and cold water in shoulder seasons.
- Fast rises and pushier current after rain on a small, responsive watershed.
- Private banks and road-adjacent access constraints; use only legal public access points.
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
Data and sources
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 | Straight River nr Faribault, MN |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | 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 | 220 cfs to 1,370 cfs |
| Low threshold | 182 cfs |
| High threshold | 1,640 cfs |
| 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 Straight River near Faribault |
| 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.
- Official map sequenceCounty Road 45 river mile 20.8 to Medford river mile 17.1
MN DNR Cannon / Straight Map 1 marks County Road 45 carry-in access, the County Road 12 bridge, Medford City Park trailer access with rest area, toilets, and water, and the downstream Faribault gauge sequence.
- Public access recordsWAS02043 to WAS02042
Minnesota public-water-access GIS resolves County Road 45 and Medford as Straight River public access sites with coordinates and river-mile records.
- DNR bands182 / 220-1,370 / 1,640 cfs
MN DNR interprets the Faribault gauge as Scrapable below 182 cfs, Low from 182 to 220, Medium from 220 to 1,370, High from 1,370 to 1,640, and Very High above 1,640.
- Current gauge check583 cfs at 2026-07-23 07:15 CDT
The current MN DNR feed placed the downstream Faribault gauge inside the official medium band during this run.
- Straight River characterNarrow, fast, seasonal, snag-prone
DNR says the Straight varies from 30 to 80 feet wide and one to four feet deep, has mild rapids, fast water, rocky narrow channels, snags, and is often too low for enjoyable paddling by July.
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
Straight River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Straight River?
Paddle Today watches Straight River nr Faribault, MN and treats 220 cfs to 1,370 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Straight River route start and end?
This route starts at Straight River, County Road 45 Public Water Access Site and ends at Straight River, Medford Public Water Access Site, about About 3.7 mi on the water.
Is this Straight 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.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.