Paddle Today Find the best paddle near you today.
Request Request

Live score, water level, and weather.

See all 4 routes on Minnesota River

Minnesota | Lower Minnesota Valley

Minnesota River

Thompson Ferry to Carver Riverfront Park

Check current paddling conditions for this Minnesota River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. This usually takes a few seconds.
Checking live data

Route snapshot

Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.

Route alerts

Email me when this route improves

We'll email you when this route climbs into Good or Strong. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.

We only email on a new threshold crossing.

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

Level Checking Checking
Trend Checking Checking 24h change
Weather Loading Air: No reading
Rain Loading Recent rain: Checking

Gauge

Recent trend

Checking preferred range.

Checking trend.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Weather

Best window today

Checking weather.

Today by hour

Short-route forecast

Checking the next several hours.

Checking the best short-route window.
-- -- Loading --

Quick facts

On-water distance 8.1 mi Thompson Ferry to Carver Riverfront Park
Difficulty easy The route is usually straightforward big-river paddling at normal levels. It is still an exposed lower Minnesota River day where wind, current, and landing mud can make the trip feel harder than the mileage suggests.
Shuttle Car shuttle Short lower Minnesota River car shuttle from Thompson Ferry north of Jordan to Carver. Stage the take-out in town before launching so wind or a slow current does not complicate pickup.
Permits None noted No route-specific paddling permit is known. Follow posted public-water-access, city park, and parking rules at Thompson Ferry and Carver.
Camping Day trip No on-route camping is assumed for this short lower-river segment. Treat it as a day trip.
Season Apr-Oct Late spring through fall is the practical window. The route is shorter than other lower-Minnesota trips, but wind, muddy banks, and flood debris still affect same-day quality.

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

Put in at Thompson Ferry and take out at Carver Riverfront Park for the DNR Map 6 recommended lower Minnesota day trip. It is shorter than the Henderson-to-Belle Plaine route while using the same official Jordan gauge ladder.

Directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap
Start

Put-in

Thompson Ferry trailer access Open map

Thompson Ferry is an official public-water-access site near the Jordan gauge, but same-day riverbank mud and parking conditions can still vary after high water.

Finish

Take-out

Carver Riverfront Park / Minnesota River public water access Open map

Carver is an official Minnesota River public-water-access site on the riverfront; use the named access and posted parking rules rather than assuming every nearby riverfront space is a landing.

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats

  • Thompson Ferry is an official public-water-access site near the Jordan gauge, but same-day riverbank mud and parking conditions can still vary after high water.
  • Carver is an official Minnesota River public-water-access site on the riverfront; use the named access and posted parking rules rather than assuming every nearby riverfront space is a landing.
  • The lower Minnesota River is broad and exposed enough that wind can matter even on an 8-mile route.

Watch for

  • Wind and wave exposure on open bends.
  • Flood debris, muddy landings, and changing sandbars after high water.
  • Private shoreland; stop only at public landings or clearly legal sites.

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.

Autumn leaves hang above the Minnesota River at Carver Rapids, with shallow current moving past wooded banks.
Carver Rapids on the Minnesota River Photo by Mara Koenig/USFWS via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 2.0

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.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

Pulling the latest gauge and weather. Usually under 10 seconds.

Gauge input Checking

Waiting on the gauge read.

Weather input Checking

Waiting on weather.

Next step Checking

Waiting on enough data to give the next step.

Why this score Today'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.

Why
  • Checking data confidence notes.
Outlook Tomorrow and weekend

This is a cautious early look. If the data is too thin, we leave it out.

Tomorrow Checking

Waiting on forecast.

Weekend Checking

Waiting on forecast.

Data behind the score Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge site Minnesota River near Jordan, MN
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 9.00 ft to 12.00 ft
Low threshold 4.00 ft
High threshold 16.00 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 Minnesota River near Jordan
Gauge source Checking
Weather source Checking
Rainfall source Checking
Notes What to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • DNR bands 4.0 / 9.0-12.0 / 16.0 ft

    MN DNR interprets the Jordan gauge as Scrapable below 4.0 ft, Low from 4.0 to 9.0, Medium from 9.0 to 12.0, High from 12.0 to 16.0, and Very High above 16.0.

    Source

  • Recommended trip 8.1 river miles

    MN DNR Map 6 recommends Thompson Ferry Access to Carver Riverfront Park as an 8.1-mile lower Minnesota River day trip.

    Source

  • Public access records DNR access IDs WAS01222 and WAS02646

    Minnesota public-water-access data identifies Thompson Ferry Public Water Access at river mile 40.1 and Carver Public Water Access at river mile 32.0.

    Source

  • Primary cautions Wind, mud, private shoreland

    MN DNR Map 6 tells paddlers to expect 2 to 3 river miles per hour, respect private shoreland, and not underestimate wind, waves, or obstacles.

    Source

Verify it yourself Check the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

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

Help build the route page

Add photos or send a quick condition report.

Photos

Upload route photos

Add access, hazard, or on-water photos.

No files selected yet.

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 46 routes
Minnesota route guide Browse every tracked Minnesota route. Lower Minnesota Valley Jump to routes in this region.

More on Minnesota River

All 4
Franklin City Park to Mack Lake Park Minnesota River Valley Easy · 10.1 mi Henderson Station to Belle Plaine Lower Minnesota Valley Easy · 17.4 mi Judson Access to Land of Memories Park Mankato Area Easy · 11.1 mi

Nearby routes by distance

Minnehaha Creek Gray's Bay to Longfellow Lagoon · about 20 mi away Easy · 21.3 mi South Fork Crow River Rick Johnson Park to Lake Rebecca Park Reserve · about 21 mi away Moderate · 14.3 mi Mississippi River Hidden Falls to Harriet Island · about 26 mi away Moderate · 6.5 mi Mississippi River East River Flats to Hidden Falls Regional Park · about 28 mi away Moderate · 5 mi

Quick answers

Minnesota River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Minnesota River?

Paddle Today watches Minnesota River near Jordan, MN and treats 9.00 ft to 12.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does this Minnesota River route start and end?

This route starts at Thompson Ferry trailer access and ends at Carver Riverfront Park / Minnesota River public water access, about 8.1 mi on the water.

Is this Minnesota River route good for beginners?

This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.

Flag a change

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.

Report a change Email update