75

75

75

75

2

2

2

2

59

59

59

220

220

220

219

219

1

1

1

1

89

89

89

32

32

32

32

92

32

32

9

9

102

102

15

99

11

1

1

1

5

33

33

21

1117

57

11

11

18

13

3

13

13

13

57

9

12

2

2

7

17

2

7

22

22

24

23

27

27

2

89

89

58

223

59

16

61

61

18

214

217

248 46

212

112

108

63 63

84

85

58

88

6

62

23

58

24

294

96

51

1

97

63

5

10

15

20

25

30 35 40 45

50 5560 65

70

75

80 85

90

95100

105

110

115

120

125

130

135140

145 150

155

160165

170

175

180

185 190

195

Fisher Landing

Highway 75 Central Park

Huot Park

Sportsmen’s Park

City Park

Voyageur’s View

LaFaveBeach

Centennial ParkHwy 59

SmileyBridge

KratkaCrossing

HighLanding

Co. Rd. 3Bridge

NeptuneBridge

East Grand Forks

Climax

NielsvilleBeltrami

Fertile

POLK CO.MAHNOMEN CO.

Crookston

Huot

Red LakeFalls

Mentor

St. Hilaire

Plummer

PENNINGTON CO.RED LAKE CO.

RED LAKE CO.POLK CO.

PENNINGTON CO.RED LAKE CO.

POL

K C

O.

MARSHALL CO.

POL

K C

O.

PEN

NIN

GTO

N C

O.

MARSHALL CO.PENNINGTON CO.

BE

LTR

AM

I CO

.

BELTRAMI CO.CLEARWATER CO.

Thief RiverFalls

Hazel

Viking

Warren

GoodridgeRed

Lake

Indian

Reservation

Agassiz

National

Wildlife

Refuge

Elm LakeW.M.A.

Adger W.M.A.

SnowshoeW.M.A.

Elm CreekW.M.A.

Red RiverState

RecreationArea

PembinaW.M.A.

BelgiumW.M.A.

HiginbothamW.M.A.

EldredTympanuchus

W.M.A.

KertsonvilleW.M.A.

Old MillState Park

Adolph ElsethW.M.A.

New FoldenW.M.A.

NewFolden

MoranW.M.A.

HoutW.M.A.

StipaW.M.A.

MarcouxW.M.A.

PembinaTrail

ReserveS.N.A.

DougdaleW.M.A.

TildenW.M.A.

Oak RidgeMarsh W.M.A.

ShypokeW.M.A.

TrailW.M.A.

BurnhamW.M.A.

MapleMeadowsW.M.A.

GodfreyW.M.A.

ChicogW.M.A.

OnstadW.M.A.

LibertyW.M.A.

Agassiz-OlsonW.M.A.

Agassiz DunesS.N.A.

RanumW.M.A.

WoodsideW.M.A.

RydellNationalWildlifeRefuge

DaleaW.M.A.

GervaisW.M.A.

JacksnipeW.M.A.

GryglaW.M.A.

ValleyW.M.A.

MoylanW.M.A.

MoylanW.M.A.

SharpW.M.A.

EspelieW.M.A.

GoodridgeW.M.A.

OriniakW.M.A.

EmmardvilleW.M.A.

CraneW.M.A. Gully

W.M.A.

SemW.M.A.

Willow RunW.M.A.

CarmeleeW.M.A.

Wolf TrailW.M.A.

LeeW.M.A.

HamreW.M.A.

Saw-WhetW.M.A.

Grygla

Benville W.M.A.

GryglaW.M.A.

WapitiW.M.A.

Red Lake W.M.A.

BeltramiIsland

StateForest

FireweedW.M.A.

Gun-dogW.M.A.

SteenersonW.M.A.

Grand

Marais

CreekRED

LAKERIVER

RED

RIVER

LAKE

Red

River

of

theNorth

Burnham

Creek

Gentilly

River

Kripple CreekFisher

MalmbergPrairie S.N.A.

L.Black

R.

Sand

Hill

River

BurnhamCreek

Maple Creek

Sand Hill

River

Kittleson

Creek

KittlesonLake

RaffLake

UnionLake

HalversonLake

LakeArthur

MapleLake

Beau

Gerlot

Creek

Lower

Badger

Creek

Clearwater

River

TerrebonneCr.

Cyr

Creek

Black

River

Browns Creek Clearwater River

Snak

e

River

MiddleRive

r

Agassiz

Pool

GreenStumpPool

Thief

Rive

r

Snake

South

Branch

River

Thief BayPool

EckvollW.M.A.

Mud

River

Lost

River

CahillLake Roosevelt

Lake

LowerRedLake

Moose River W.M.A.

NORTHDAKOTA

POLK CO.

CrookstonMunicipalAirport

FertileMunicipalAirport

Red LakeFalls

MunicipalAirport

Thief RiverFalls Regional

Airport

II

III

Red Lake Reservation DNR

permit and guide are

required to paddle this

section(RM 193 - RM 175.1)

A S TAT E WAT E R T R A I L G U I D E T O T H E R E D L A K E R I V E R

Carry-in Access

Trailer Access

Rest Area

Campsite

Fishing Pier

River Mile

Rapids

Dam

Drinking Water

Outfitter

Designated Public Lands

Tribal Lands

NORTH1 2 3 Miles0

1 2 3 Kilometers0

NOTE: (R) and (L) represent right and left banks of the river when facing downstream.

RIVER MILE 195.5 Lower Red Lake Dam at Highway 89.188.2 Red Lake Indian Reservation Road bridge.183.1 Dam, portage right.175.1 (R) Neptune Bridge trailer access at County Road 27.166.8 (R) County Road 3 bridge carry-in access.163.4 (R) High Landing trailer access at County Road 24. This site is an historic timber landing from the early 1800s.158.5 County Road 23 bridge.150.6 (R) Kratka Crossing carry-in access at County Road 22 bridge.140.9 (R) Smiley carry-in access at County Road 7 bridge.128.6 (R) Centennial Park trailer access at the Highway 1 bridge. Park has a picnic shelter, restrooms, drinking water, fishing pier and public parking facilities.128.1 (L) LaFave Beach has restrooms, drinking water, and public parking facilities.127.5 Dam, portage right.123.3 (L) Thief River Falls Regional Airport.117.1 County Road 3 bridge.114.8 (R) Town of St. Hilaire trailer access, camping and rest area. Drinking water and supplies in town.114.5-66 Intermittent class I-II rapids.97.8 County Highway 32 bridge.93.9 (L) Voyageur’s View carry-in access at County Road 13 bridge.93.0 (R) Sportsmen’s Park trailer access and the confluence of the Clearwater River (river left). This park has a rest area, campsites, and drinking water. This is also an historic sturgeon spawning site, as well as the site of the original Red Lake Falls Sawmill.85.0 (R) Part of Huot Wildlife Management Area.

84.7 (L) Confluence of Cyr Creek.82.1-79.9(R) Part of Huot Wildlife Management Area.80.0 (R) Confluence of the Black River.79.5 (R) Huot Park trailer access. Site of an 1863 treaty in which the Ojibwe ceded almost 10 mil.acres of land. This same site is the historic crossing point for the Red River oxcart drivers, freighting goods between Winnipeg and St. Paul.79.0 County Road 3 bridge.69.8 (L) Confluence of the Gentilly River.67.5 County Road 11 bridge.63.1 Dam, portage right.55.5 (R) Central Park trailer access, has a rest area and campsites. City of Crookston.55.4 Highway 2 bridge.53.8 Highway 75 bridge.53.8 Rock riffles - rapids.51.0 (R) Highway 75 bridge trailer access.32.7 (L) Confluence of Burnham Creek.27.9 County Road 15 bridge.27.9 (R) Fisher Landing carry-in access. Drinking water is available at the town of Fisher. This is an historic steamboat landing that was greatly used in the 1800s, prior to the entrance of railroads at the turn of the century.24.0 (R) Confluence of Grand Marais Creek.14.0 Township road bridge.5.6 Highway 220 bridge.3.0-0 Red River State Recreation Area.0.3 (R) Trailer access.0.2 Rock riffles - rapids.0.0 Trailer access.0.0 Confluence with the Red River of the North.

Route Description of the Red Lake River

Intermittent Class I-II rapidsfrom river mile 114 to 66

Thief River Falls DamPortage right

DamPortage

right

Lower Red Lake Dam

DamPortage right

The Red Lake River

Marshy wilderness, flat farmland, towering eroded cliffs and steep, wooded banks characterize the Red Lake River.

One of the few canoeing rivers in northwest Minnesota, the Red Lake flows westward to join the Red River in East Grand Forks.

Above the dam at river mile 181 the Red Lake flows through marshland in the Red Lake Indian Reservation. White and yellow water lilies, wild rice and cattails thrive here; blackbirds, snipes, wrens, gulls, great blue herons and many ducks inhabit the marsh.

Below the dam, the river is flanked by a prairie that is at times bright with wildflowers. Trees are sparse and small on the low grassy banks. Near High Landing the trees become larger and the river meanders through farmland; stands of willow, elm and cottonwood are interspersed with open fields. Residential development is extensive along the banks at Thief River Falls.

Below St. Hilaire the banks steepen and are heavily wooded to Red Lake Falls. A chain of boulder-field rapids and pools interrupts the Red Lake in this 17-mile stretch where the river drops 110 feet.

High, nearly vertical, eroded cliffs and the first of many huge slump areas are encountered near Red Lake Falls. Entire hillsides have moved down to the river. The natural process of flood and drought cycles changes the landscape quickly.

Just downstream from Huot is the Old Crossing Treaty State Historical Wayside Park, where in 1868 the Ojibway Indians ceded almost 10 million acres of land for white settlement of the Red River Valley. This also was an important crossing of

the Red River Oxcart Trails, the tracks of which are still partially visible.

In its lower reaches the river meanders through farmland, often screened from the river by stands of elm, willow and cottonwood.

Wildlife along the Red Lake River is varied and abundant. Wooded bottomlands provide excellent habitat for wood duck and deer. Fox, grouse, beaver, mink, muskrat, weasel, coyote, squirrel, rabbit and raccoon range through the region. Bottomlands and scattered oxbows attract mallards, blue-winged teal, great blue herons, shorebirds, owls and numerous species of songbirds. Otters and fishers make the riverway their home.

The river supports several species of game fish, including northern pike walleye and channel catfish. The Red Lake River is particularly noted for its channel catfish angling. Some of the most popular fishing areas are located below the Ottertail power dams in both Crookston and Red Lake Falls, and near the junctions of the Red Lake with the Thief, Clearwater and Black rivers. Smallmouth bass may be found in the upper reaches.

According to the most recent Minnesota Department of Health Advisory, children under six and women of child-bearing years should eat no fish from this river. Others may eat one meal a month.

Planning A Safe River Trip

A successful river trip is safe. To enjoy a safe journey, you should be prepared by doing the following:

• Get acquainted with your route. Plan your tripwith a map before you depart and advisesomeone of your plans including planneddeparture and arrival times.

• Travel with a companion or group.• Choose a distance that is comfortable for you,

most people paddle two to three river miles perhour.

• Wear a U. S. Coast Guard approved personalflotation device that state law requires be onboard the boat for each person.

• Bring a first aid kit that includes waterproofmatches.

• Be cautious of river obstructions, such asoverhanging and dead trees.

• Bring an extra paddle in your canoe.• You must pack out all trash.• Leave only footprints; take only photographs!

u e te, at

e d

CLASS V. Long, violroutes and steep dropslife in the event of a experts in decked boat CLASS VI. Cannot risk to life.

Water levels can speed or slow you down. Yocan get information about water levels from thregional DNR office, or check the DNR websior the DNR Information Center. Remember thmuch of the shorelands are privately owned. Respect and protect the water and shorelands.

Boating Information

• Register your watercraft. All watercraft morthan 9 feet in length, including nonmotorizecanoes and kayaks, must be registered inMinnesota or your state of residence.

• Few portions of this water trail are suitablefor motor use.

Rating Whitewater

Rivers and rapids are rated according to the International Scale of River Difficulty. Ratings

are estimates based on observations at low or moderate water levels or on secondhand reports.

CLASS I. Easy rapids with small waves and few obstructions.CLASS II. Rapids with waves up to three feet high. Some maneuvering is required. CLASS III. Difficult rapids with high, irregular waves capable of swamping an open canoe. Narrow chutes may require extensive maneuvering. Usually considered the limit for an experienced paddler in an open canoe.CLASS IV. Long, turbulent rapids with high, irregular waves, constricted passages, and blind drops. Decked canoes and kayaks only; open canoes should be portaged.

ent rapids with complex or waterfalls. Hazard to

mishap. Runnable only by s.

be attempted without great

Rest Areas and Camping Sites

• Public rest areas are available along the route to

are

t a

communities are attractishoreline habitat for bird

Natural Shorelands

40% evaporation

10% runoff

50% infiltration

Altered Shorelands

30% evaporation

55% runoff

15% infiltration

rest, picnic and explore.

• Camp only in designated campsites, whichavailable on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• Bring drinking water. It is only available alimited number of rest areas. Drinking riverwater is not recommended, but if you do itmust be treated.

• Respect private property. Stop only atdesignated sites; much of the shoreland isprivate property.

• Be sanitary! Use designated toilet facilities orbury human waste away from the river.

Sustainable Ecosystems Outdoor recreation is dependent on a healthy and attractive natural environment. Sustainable outdoor recreation enables people to enjoy the outdoors without negative impacts on the environment. Communities working together can improve water resources by promoting environmentally sensitive land use practices along rivers and throughout watersheds. Natural shoreline buffers improve water quality by filtering out pollutants and sediments. Healthy and diverse native shoreline plant

ve and provide important s and wildlife.

Red Lake River Corridor Enhancement Group

© 2016 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Minnesota State Parks and TrailsRegional Unit

“The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer”

This information is available in alternativeformat upon request.

Online water trail information and maps can be found at mndnr.gov/watertrails

The river holds a variety of secrets just waiting for you to explore. Bring your binoculars, a field guideor just your curiosity and enjoy the river’s magic.

BLU

E V

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VA

IN; D

AV

ID A

RSC

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DAVID

DA

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AR

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A STATE WATER TRAIL GUIDE TO THE RED LAKE RIVER

123 Main Ave NorthThief River Falls, MN 56701

218-681-0889

2Lower Red

Lake

Warroad

2

71

71

59

59

75

75 52

10

10

Upper RedLake

LeechLake

Red

Lake

Nor

th

Red

Rive

rof

the

Mississippi

Roseau

Snake

Clearwater

Thief

Sand Hill

Wild

Buffalo

OtterTail

Red Eye Cro

w W

ing

Pine

Rice

RapidRainyBaudette

ThiefRiverFalls

MahnomenBemidji

DetroitLakes

Walker

DNR Information CenterThe DNR’s Information Center is available to provide free

publications of facilities and services as well as answers questions pertaining to DNR recreational opportunities in Minnesota.

500 Lafayette RoadSt. Paul, MN 55155-4040651-296-6157 Metro Area1-888-646-6367 MN Toll-Free

mndnr.gov

Red Lake River

STATE WATER TRAIL MAP