US lakes & ponds
Minnesota › Itasca County › Grand Rapids › Paper Mill Reservoir

Paper Mill Reservoir

Grand Rapids · Cohasset, Minnesota — Itasca County.

Share:TextEmailFacebookX
466Surface acres
3Public access sites
2.1 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 166869336).

Location & fast facts

Where Paper Mill Reservoir is in Minnesota

The red circle marks Paper Mill Reservoir.

Fast facts

About Paper Mill Reservoir

  • County: Itasca
  • Shore towns: Grand Rapids, Cohasset
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 157 mi from Minneapolis and 76 mi from Duluth, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Minnesota

Official Minnesota DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 3 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Walking. 2.1 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 13 campgrounds within 15 mi, 2 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Zebra mussel recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Lake map

Paper Mill Reservoir shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Pokegama Dam Campground (campground)Pokegama-COE (campground)Mississippi River, Blandin Lake Public Water Access Site (Boat launch)1Mississippi River, Izaak Walton Park Public Water Access Site (Boat launch)2Mississippi River, Sylvan Bay Public Water Access Site (Boat launch)31 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Mississippi River, Blandin Lake Public Water Access Site
    Boat launch · Grand Rapids
  2. 2Mississippi River, Izaak Walton Park Public Water Access Site
    Boat launch · Grand Rapids
  3. 3Mississippi River, Sylvan Bay Public Water Access Site
    Boat launch · Grand Rapids

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 166869336), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

2.1 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 25%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
South shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 2.1 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Paper Mill Reservoir shoreline, mostly along the south shore.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Mississippi River, Blandin Lake Public Water Access Site, 100 ft from a shoreline trail (Minnesota DNR water access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Paper Mill Reservoir

We found 13 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Paper Mill Reservoir, 4 of them within 5 miles. 2 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

7 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Minnesota

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (47.2376, -93.5676). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Paper Mill Reservoir. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Paper Mill Reservoir

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    3 public access sites listed, 3 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Mississippi River, Blandin Lake Public Water Access SiteGrand RapidsU.S. Army Corps of EngineersTrailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock4 trailer—Fishing, Boating
    Restroom
    47.2513, -93.5869
    Mississippi River, Izaak Walton Park Public Water Access SiteGrand RapidsDNR Division of Parks and TrailsTrailer launch · Yes ramp4 trailer—Fishing, Boating47.2383, -93.5696
    Mississippi River, Sylvan Bay Public Water Access SiteGrand RapidsCity of Grand RapidsTrailer launch · Concrete slab ramp · dock6 trailer—Fishing, Boating47.2305, -93.5477

    Minnesota DNR public water access sites (Minnesota Geospatial Commons)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Paper Mill Reservoir

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Paper Mill Reservoir

    How big is Paper Mill Reservoir?

    Paper Mill Reservoir covers about 466 acres in Grand Rapids and Cohasset, Minnesota (Itasca County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Paper Mill Reservoir?

    Yes. 3 public trailer launches are listed: Mississippi River, Sylvan Bay Public Water Access Site, Mississippi River, Blandin Lake Public Water Access Site and Mississippi River, Izaak Walton Park Public Water Access Site. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Paper Mill Reservoir?

    Yes. We list 13 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 4 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Paper Mill Reservoir?

    Paper Mill Reservoir touches Grand Rapids and Cohasset in Itasca County, Minnesota.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Paper Mill Reservoir? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Minnesota lakes & ponds · All waters in Grand Rapids