Dowagiac River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
65Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 2 kn gusting 4, Air 13 °C
Tue 3 · 34 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 22kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 6.7 mm
Thu 5 · 31 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 4kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sat 7 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 0 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 64 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 13kntoo gusty
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 3.3 mm
Mon 9 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 272, good
- Tue 334, poor
- Wed 40, poor
- Thu 531, poor
- Fri 684, good
- Sat 780, good
- Sun 864, good
- Mon 982, good
- Tue 100, poor
- Wed 1128, poor
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 72, good | 7 kn | 12kntoo gusty | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 34, poor | 10 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 20°C | 6.7 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 31, poor | 10 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 84, good | 2 kn | 4kn | 13°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 80, good | 0 kn | 6kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 64, good | 7 kn | 13kntoo gusty | 13°C | 3.3 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 82, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 11 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 8°C | 4.5 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 28, poor | 9 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 11°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.
Best time to go
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Dowagiac River 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.
More kayaking near here
1 place
- Riverfront Park South Boating Access Site 10.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Dowagiac River
A launch on the Dowagiac River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 39 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and February, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Niles.
- River Dowagiac River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 39 km away.
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$904–US$1,620 each
about US$904–US$1,620 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: fuel, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | about 275 km there and back, shared | about US$13–US$27 |
| 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 bring your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$904–US$1,620 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Niles
about 20 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Niles its beds, food and every spot near it
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 1h 50m
About 1h 50m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 1h 50m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Niles · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Niles · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at DOWAGIAC RIVER AT SUMNERVILLE, MI, 1 km upstream: 6.88 m³/s, very low for November (updated 2 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 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits