| Prairie River | |
| Pushpin Map: | Minnesota |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Mouth of the Prairie River |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Minnesota |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Subdivision Name3: | Itasca |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 47.5941°N -93.181°W[1] |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 47.2149°N -93.4824°W |
| Discharge1 Location: | USGS gauge near Taconite |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 211.6cuft/s, USGS water years 1967-2019[2] |
| Discharge2 Location: | mouth |
| Discharge2 Avg: | 298.1cuft/s (estimate)[3] |
The Prairie River is a river in Itasca County, Minnesota. The river is located in northern Minnesota, near the communities of Taconite, Bovey, Grand Rapids, and La Prairie. It is a tributary of the Mississippi River.
In 1991 Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline ruptured near Grand Rapids, spilling 1.7 million of gallons of oil into the area, including the river, in the largest inland oil spill in US history.[4] [5]
On May 4, 1988, the world record shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum), which weighed 5oz6oz, was caught on the Prairie River by angler Greg Clusiau.[6]