Kettle River

The Kettle River is an 83.6-mile tributary of the St. Croix River in eastern Minnesota. It flows through Carlton and Pine counties and is part of the Mississippi River watershed. The river begins in small, slow bog streams near Cromwell and widens from about 75 feet at the start of its navigable portion to 250 feet in its lower reaches. Its watershed covers 1,056 square miles. The state has designated the river from the Carlton–Pine county line down to the St. Croix as a Wild and Scenic River. It is classified as scenic above the old dam site at Sandstone and as wild below it. A dam built in 1908 was removed in 1995, which recreated Big Spring Falls. Some pools are more than 100 feet deep.

The Minnesota DNR has managed the Kettle as a state water trail since 1967. Its rapids range from Class I to Class IV through Banning State Park, where the DNR calls the Hells Gate rapids extremely dangerous. Water levels respond sharply to rain and often run low in late summer. Accesses include the Musclewood carry-in at river mile 46.3, the #1 trailer access at mile 29.8, the #2 trailer access in Banning State Park, the Robinson Park ramp in Sandstone, and a concrete ramp at State Highway 48. Canoes are recommended upstream of Highway 23. Small motorboats can run from Highway 48 to the Maple Island access in St. Croix State Park.

A 2002 DNR survey found 34 fish species, including smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, channel catfish and lake sturgeon. A 94-pound sturgeon caught here in 1994 was Minnesota's record fish until 2018.