Snake
C) Cross Lake to confluence with St. Croix R. (12 miles)
| Difficulty | I-II |
| Length | 11.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | n/a |
| Gauge | Snake River Near Pine City, Mn |
| Flow Rate as of 1 hour | 493 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | January 29, 2025 |
River Description
Beginner friendly for open canoe or kayak at most normal/usual flows. Mostly Class 1 alternating with quiet sections. None of the rapids are especially long. There is one long flat section about half way, but it can be a nice break, especially for beginners to rest before tackling the lower sections.
The gauge is at the put in, so it accurately reflects actual flow.
River Features
Put In
Take Out
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportPaddled this again on 5/22/ 2022 and it was a fun run at 4400 cfs.About 30% slow flat water in middle of run but the rest had fun choppy 2' waves.About 2.5 hours.Stay away from edges and wooded areas at this level.It is flooded and allot of strainers and other hazards.
The chiggers destroyed me and my dog on this run. Too many strainers when it floods come snowmelt.
I run this section on 10/19/2019 @2730cfs.This run took us about 2.5 hours in 8'creek boats.Over half of run has 1'and 2' waves so have a skirt.This run can be run with beginners at this level.
I have run this section many many times, from the largest flows as the ice from the lake comes over the dam, to pretty low.... It is never dangerous for an experienced whitewater paddler, although at times it expands enough to flow into the woods around the river and hazards in this area include getting pinned on trees..... Do NOT run the dam..... But a few little waves are found just below the dam at the put in off of cross lake road.
The whole run takes about 3-4 hours during good flow and is usually fun for the whole family, including kids.