Minnesota | Pine City Area

Snake River

County Road 9 carry-in access to Snake Bit Access

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Today

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Today's conditions

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Quick facts

On-water distance 11.7 mi County Road 9 carry-in access to Snake Bit Access

Difficulty moderate Class I rapids, low-water scraping, and the long runout to the St. Croix make this more than a lazy flatwater shuttle even though it is not a technical whitewater run.

Shuttle Car shuttle Longer Pine City-to-Chengwatana shuttle. A two-car shuttle is the practical choice because the finish sits near the St. Croix confluence rather than back in town.

Permits None noted No special permit is known for this Minnesota DNR water-trail segment. Follow posted public-access, state-forest, and parking rules at both ends.

Camping Day trip Treat this as a day trip, but Snake River Campground and River's End Campground are useful nearby overnight anchors if you want to stage the shuttle.

Season Apr-Sep Spring through early fall is the practical window. The Snake drains quickly, so recent rain and rising trend matter almost as much as the raw reading.

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 County Road 9 and finish near Snake Bit at the Snake/St. Croix confluence. This lower Snake route has a strong official low-water warning, so use the Pine City gauge first and do not expect a worthwhile run when it is hugging the floor.

Directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap

Start

Put-in

County Road 9 bridge carry-in access Open map

County Road 9 is clearly named by MN DNR as a carry-in access with the gauge on the bridge, but it is still a bridge access rather than a polished park launch.

Finish

Take-out

Snake Bit Access (near St. Croix/Snake River public water access) Open map

Snake Bit is clearly named on the MN DNR route map, but the saved finish coordinate is anchored by the nearby official Snake/St. Croix public-water-access record rather than a standalone Snake Bit facility page.

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Access caveats

County Road 9 is clearly named by MN DNR as a carry-in access with the gauge on the bridge, but it is still a bridge access rather than a polished park launch.
Snake Bit is clearly named on the MN DNR route map, but the saved finish coordinate is anchored by the nearby official Snake/St. Croix public-water-access record rather than a standalone Snake Bit facility page.

Watch for

Class I rapids and scrape-heavy shallow water immediately below County Road 9.
Fresh wood, strainers, and debris after storms or rapid snowmelt.
Wind and wave exposure as you approach the St. Croix confluence.

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Sources

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Why this score Today's data confidence is checking

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Outlook Tomorrow and weekend

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Data behind the score Gauge, thresholds, and timing

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

Gauge site	Snake River near Pine City, MN
Gauge height	Checking
Discharge	Checking
24h trend	Checking
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Air temp	Checking
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Wind	Checking
Gusts	Checking
Rain timing	Checking
Ideal range	Needs paddler reports
Known low-water floor	2.30 ft
High threshold	Not calibrated yet
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 Snake River near Pine City
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 floor 2.3 ft

MN DNR interprets Pine City as Scrapable below 2.3 ft and Low from 2.3 to 3.3 ft. The app uses that official floor without pretending this lower rapids stretch has a cleaner ideal band.

Source
Official route shape 11.7 river miles

The Snake River map names County Road 9 bridge/carry-in access at river mile 11.7 and Snake Bit Access at the St. Croix confluence.

Source
Low-water warning 11.7 to 10.9 not canoeable much of the year

MN DNR explicitly warns that the first rapids section below County Road 9 is low-water limited much of the year, which is the main reason this route is modeled as minimum-only.

Source
Route character Scattered Class I rapids to the St. Croix

MN DNR describes the County Road 9 to mouth corridor as scattered Class I rapids below the initial low-water-sensitive section.

Source
Take-out anchor State access at Snake/St. Croix confluence

Minnesota public-water-access data identifies the St. Croix River/Snake River access on the Snake River at the confluence, which is the best current access anchor for the Snake Bit finish area.

Source

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Quick answers

Snake River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Snake River?

Paddle Today watches Snake River near Pine City, MN and uses 2.30 ft as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.

Where does this Snake River route start and end?

This route starts at County Road 9 bridge carry-in access and ends at Snake Bit Access (near St. Croix/Snake River public water access), about 11.7 mi on the water.

Is this Snake 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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