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Kentucky River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
85Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: Wind 4 kn gusting 12, Air 20 °C
Tue 3 · 89 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 25°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 38 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 15kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 14.8 mm
Thu 5 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 91 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 290, good
- Tue 389, good
- Wed 438, poor
- Thu 593, good
- Fri 691, good
- Sat 785, good
- Sun 882, good
- Mon 984, good
- Tue 1062, good
- Wed 110, poor
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 90, good | 4 kn | 7kn | 19°C | 2.2 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 89, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 25°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 38, poor | 9 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 20°C | 14.8 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 93, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 91, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 85, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 82, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 84, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 15°C | 0.9 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 62, good | 6 kn | 12kntoo gusty | 9°C | 2.1 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, poor | 13 kn | 26kntoo gusty | 12°C | 3.3 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
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 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
- Nov6of 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
the spot and its town
Kentucky 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
- Kentucky River 15.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Kentucky River
A launch on the Kentucky River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 45 km away. The town to stay in is Winchester.
- River Kentucky 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 45 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$1,110–US$2,020 each
about US$1,110–US$2,020 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 LEX, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$121–US$255 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$100–US$167 |
| 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$1,110–US$2,020 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Winchester
about 25 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Winchester its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Winchester, 14 km. We have not checked places to stay in Winchester yet. The nearest beds we have counted are in Slade Kentucky, 41 km away (about 1h 15m 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 4h 20m
About 4h 20m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → LEX, direct, then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → LEX on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Winchester · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Winchester · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at KENTUCKY RIVER AT LOCK 10 NEAR WINCHESTER, KY, 14 km downstream: 6.4 m³/s, very low for November (updated 3 h ago). Low.
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