Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
81Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 2 kn gusting 8, Air 11 °C
Mon 2 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Sat 7 · 76 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 176, good
- Mon 280, good
- Tue 381, good
- Wed 484, good
- Thu 581, good
- Fri 678, good
- Sat 776, good
- Sun 883, good
- Mon 984, good
- Tue 1084, good
The spot in one fact
- Flat waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 76, good | 1 kn | 6kn | 6°C | 7.1 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 81, good | 1 kn | 6kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 84, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 81, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 78, good | 1 kn | 7kn | 7°C | 2.7 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 76, good | 1 kn | 9kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 83, good | 1 kn | 7kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 84, good | 1 kn | 6kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 84, good | 1 kn | 7kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot and its town
Clark Fork on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Clark Fork
A launch on the Clark Fork. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Frenchtown Montana.
- River Clark Fork
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,130–US$2,070 each
about US$1,130–US$2,070 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MSO, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$214–US$442 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$1,130–US$2,070 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Frenchtown Montana
17 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Frenchtown Montana its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Frenchtown Montana, 9 km. We have not checked places to stay in Frenchtown Montana yet. The nearest beds we have counted are in East Missoula, 21 km away (about 40 min by car). Search before you plan on staying there.
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 5h 55m
About 5h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MSO, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → MSO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Frenchtown Montana · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Frenchtown Montana · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at Clark Fork below Missoula MT, 11 km upstream: 71.9 m³/s, normal for November (updated 4 h ago). Running.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits