Turtle River Canoe Route

The Turtle River begins at Lake Julia, 12 miles north of Bemidji and flows through the Turtle and Three Island Lakes into Turtle River Lake. The river flows out of Turtle River Lake to enter the Chippewa National Forest, where it moved through Big Rice Lake, Kitchi and finally into Cass Lake on the Mississippi River. Water depth and rate of travel depend on the amount of rainfall and the season of the year.