Macatawa River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
73Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 3 kn gusting 11, Air 11 °C
Mon 2 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 12kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 76 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 21kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 3.5 mm
Thu 5 · 71 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 14kntoo gusty
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 1.8 mm
Fri 6 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 2.1 mm
Sat 7 · 85 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 198, good
- Mon 279, good
- Tue 376, good
- Wed 40, poor
- Thu 571, good
- Fri 683, good
- Sat 785, good
- Sun 868, good
- Mon 972, good
- Tue 100, poor
The spot in three facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 2 kmthe section
- Best Jun–Aug7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 98, good | 2 kn | 7kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 79, good | 6 kn | 12kntoo gusty | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 76, good | 9 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 19°C | 3.5 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 71, good | 7 kn | 14kntoo gusty | 12°C | 1.8 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 83, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 13°C | 2.1 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 85, good | 3 kn | 11kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 68, good | 9 kn | 17kn | 13°C | 0.9 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 72, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 10°C | 0.3 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 11 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 10°C | 0.9 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–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 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
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec2of 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
Macatawa 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
- Tannery Creek 20.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Macatawa River
A river section on the Macatawa River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 2.0 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 21 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Holland. Within 5 km we also list 1 mountain bike area.
- River Macatawa River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 2.0 km along the river.
- 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 21 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$918–US$1,630 each
about US$918–US$1,630 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 405 km there and back, shared | about US$27–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 bring your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$918–US$1,630 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Holland
12 min by car · 22 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Holland 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 2h 35m
About 2h 35m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 2h 35m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Holland · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Holland · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at MACATAWA RIVER AT STATE ROAD NEAR ZEELAND, MI, 1 km upstream: 0.479 m³/s, normal for November (updated 1 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
Third Coast Paddling 21 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits