Canoeing the Mississippi, starting in Mid-Late October?

[Srobocop]

Does anyone have thoughts on canoeing the entire Mississippi beginning in Mid-Late October? I'm currently working at a remote fishing lodge in Alaska as a guide, and we get back home in early October. My Buddy and I would like to begin our journey mid to late October? Right now we can't see any reasons to not do it then. It'll be cold, but nothing should be frozen over. Thoughts? or do any of you know about any weather patterns that time of year that we could be over looking?

Also we'd be looking for an 18-20ft Prospector type canoe for the journey, or any other large boat that can haul some gear if anyone has one they'd like to sell or knows where we could find one in the MN, WI, MI areas.

 

[BWCA66]

So I live in southern Minnesota and we usually don't have ice before Thanksgiving but the river normally does freeze over and is not navigatable at some point. I would also guess low water might be an issue above the twin cities.
Go to Facebook and join the group - Mississippi River paddlers and ask this question there.

 

[Srobocop]

Thank you, BWCA66. I will post with that facebook group

 

[BWCA66]

Thank you, BWCA66. I will post with that facebook group

There are a number of MN folks on that site so those up north could give you and idea of freeze up dates.

 

[Boreal Birch]

Srobocop...........
Wondering if you started down the mighty Mississippi River. I was at the headwaters earlier in October, seemed to be plenty of water then. Back when I went to college at Bemidji State we canoed the section from Itasca Park to Lake Bemidji a few times in the fall, more jump shooting ducks in wild rice beds than a canoe trip. Most of our voyages in those days were something other than a canoe trip, we just used canoes for transportation.

 

[BWCA66]

Water is very high in southern MN now.