Minnesota /

Mississippi River

River in Minnesota · near Aitkin, Anoka, Bald Eagle Center, Ball Bluff

The Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and flows 2,350 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) calls it the largest river on the continent. Within Minnesota it passes through valleys, bluffs, prairies and woodlands, and its flow rate and width vary along the way. Parts of the river are designated a Wild and Scenic river. The name Mississippi means "Great River" in Ojibwe. Below Minneapolis the river is held back by a series of locks and dams, which create pools. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and 13 locks and dams between Minneapolis and Guttenberg, Iowa. Pool 2 runs from the Ford Dam down to the dam at Hastings.

The DNR's Mississippi River State Water Trail was established in 1967. It is divided into ten mapped segments that run from the source to the Iowa border. Through the Twin Cities, the river forms the 72-mile Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a National Park Service partnership park established in 1988. Public launches include Coon Rapids Dam, Boom Island, South St. Paul and Hastings. Using the locks is free, and about 12,000 recreational craft pass through Lock and Dam 2 each year. The Corps closes Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and Lock and Dam 1 to recreational traffic when flows go above 30,000 cubic feet per second. Farther downstream, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge manages 26 boat landings, including Pool 8 and Lower I-90 Landing. Within the refuge, some areas are slow, no-wake zones, some allow only electric motors, and some are closed to protect waterfowl, usually from fall to spring.

The DNR says Pool 2 holds the best population of quality walleye and sauger in the area. Fishing there is open year-round, but walleye, sauger and bass are catch-and-release only.

Boating rules

Rules change; check with the agency or town before you go.

Launches

Community

Where people who fish, boat and paddle Mississippi River talk about it. Lake associations, clubs and local groups will be added as we find them.

Sources

  1. Mississippi River State Water Trail - Minnesota DNR
  2. Corps closes Minneapolis locks and dams to recreational vessels due to high Mississippi River flows - USACE St. Paul District
  3. Mississippi River Pool 2 - Minnesota DNR
  4. Basic Information - Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (NPS)
  5. Lock and Dam No. 2 - Mississippi National River & Recreation Area (NPS)
  6. Boating - motorized at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge - USFWS
  7. Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Rules and Policies - USFWS
  8. Mississippi National River and Recreation Area - Wikipedia

Researched October 13, 2026 from the sources above. Written content CC BY 4.0. Something wrong? Corrections are welcome.

Wikidata: Q1497