Minnesota | West Central Minnesota
Pomme de Terre River
Larson Landing to Appleton
Check current paddling conditions for this Pomme de Terre River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route snapshot
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Today
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Start with the verdict, current conditions, route plan, and quick facts before you commit to the drive.
Today's conditions
Gauge
Recent trend
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Checking trend.
Gauge source
-- Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Best window today
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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 Larson Landing and finish at Appleton for the clearest short beginner trip on the lower Pomme de Terre. The gauge decision is straightforward, but low water, wood, and wind can still change the feel of the day.
Put-in
Larson Landing public water access Open mapBoth endpoints are backed by Minnesota public-water-access records, which is the main trust reason this route clears the bar cleanly.
Take-out
Appleton public water access Open mapAppleton is the stronger landmarked finish because the live gauge and route town line up there, but same-day landing and parking signage should still win over any saved note.
Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.
Access caveats
- Both endpoints are backed by Minnesota public-water-access records, which is the main trust reason this route clears the bar cleanly.
- Appleton is the stronger landmarked finish because the live gauge and route town line up there, but same-day landing and parking signage should still win over any saved note.
Watch for
- Dragging and scrape-heavy shallow spots when Appleton drops toward 3.5 ft.
- Fresh wood or strainers after storms or fast rises.
- Wind exposure on the more open lower-river bends approaching Appleton.
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 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.
- Checking data confidence notes.
- Checking data confidence cautions.
Outlook Tomorrow 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 score Gauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Pomme De Terre River at Appleton, 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 | 4.50 ft to 6.00 ft |
| Low threshold | 3.50 ft |
| High threshold | 7.50 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 Pomme de Terre River at Appleton |
| 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 3.5 / 4.5 / 6.0 / 7.5 ft
MN DNR interprets this gauge as Low from 3.5 to 4.5 ft, Medium from 4.5 to 6.0, High from 6.0 to 7.5, and Very High above 7.5. Below 3.5 ft is below the published low band and should be treated as too low.
- Route character Beginner-friendly short day trip
MN DNR recommends Larson Landing to Appleton as a 6-mile beginner trip on the Pomme de Terre River water trail.
- Access confidence Verified
Both Larson Landing and Appleton are resolved in the MN DNR public-water-access GIS and align with the official water-trail segment naming.
- Chart behavior Current DNR level panel
The current product supports MN DNR gauges with a current-level fallback panel when recent chart samples are unavailable, so this route still has a working live-data presentation in-product.
Verify it yourself Check 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.
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Quick answers
Pomme de Terre River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Pomme de Terre River?
Paddle Today watches Pomme De Terre River at Appleton, MN and treats 4.50 ft to 6.00 ft as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Pomme de Terre River route start and end?
This route starts at Larson Landing public water access and ends at Appleton public water access, about 6 mi on the water.
Is this Pomme de Terre 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.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.