Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
82Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 7 kn gusting 15, Air 19 °C
Tue 3 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 15kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 4.4 mm
Wed 4 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 3.2 mm
Thu 5 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Fri 6 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 10.2 mm
Sat 7 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sun 8 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 292, good
- Tue 386, good
- Wed 482, good
- Thu 583, good
- Fri 678, good
- Sat 780, good
- Sun 878, good
- Mon 979, good
- Tue 1077, good
- Wed 1178, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 5.3 kmthe section
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 | 92, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 18°C | 0.3 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 86, good | 7 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 19°C | 4.4 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 82, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 17°C | 3.2 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 83, good | 8 kn | 22kn | 13°C | 0.3 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 78, good | 3 kn | 5kn | 9°C | 10.2 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 80, good | 2 kn | 7kn | 7°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 78, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 79, good | 7 kn | 18kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 77, good | 8 kn | 21kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 78, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. 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
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 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
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec5of 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
put-in, take-out, its town
High Banks 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
5 places
- Smithville Landing 3.1 km away
- Smithville Boat Ramp 3.6 km away
- Rainbow Jim Bridge Boat Ramp 10.7 km away
- Lucas Road Boat Launch 14 km away
- US-131 Roadside Park Boat Ramp 21.7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About High Banks
A river section on the Manistee River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 5.3 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 29 km away. The town to stay in is Fife Lake. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- River Manistee River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 5.3 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 29 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$1,100–US$1,990 each
about US$1,100–US$1,990 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 TVC, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$114–US$234 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$94–US$161 |
| 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$1,100–US$1,990 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Fife Lake
about 35 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Fife Lake 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 4h 05m
About 4h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → TVC, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → TVC on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Fife Lake · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Fife Lake · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits