Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
61Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Wed 4: Wind 2 kn gusting 7, Air 4 °C
Mon 2 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 10kntoo gusty
- Air
- 1°C
- Rain
- 2.1 mm
Tue 3 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 15kntoo gusty
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 32 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 24kntoo gusty
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sat 7 · 70 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 20kntoo gusty
- Air
- 0°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 171, good
- Mon 266, good
- Tue 363, good
- Wed 475, good
- Thu 532, poor
- Fri 60, poor
- Sat 770, good
- Sun 863, good
- Mon 90, poor
- Tue 100, poor
The spot in three facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 13.7 kmthe section
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 71, good | 2 kn | 10kn | 3°C | 7.4 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 66, good | 2 kn | 10kntoo gusty | 1°C | 2.1 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 63, good | 5 kn | 15kntoo gusty | 3°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 75, good | 2 kn | 7kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 32, poor | 4 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 2°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, poor | 9 kn | 24kntoo gusty | 2°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 70, good | 2 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 0°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 63, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 3°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, poor | 7 kn | 23kntoo gusty | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 6 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 7°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).
- Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 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
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec4of 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
Madison 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
- Gallatin River 49.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Madison River
A river section on the Madison River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 14 km along the river. 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. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Big Sky.
- River Madison River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 14 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 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$1,250–US$2,260 each
about US$1,250–US$2,260 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 MDW to BZN, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$201–US$415 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$1,250–US$2,260 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Big Sky
70 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Big Sky 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 6h 55m
About 6h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → BZN, direct, then 2h by road
Flights MDW → BZN on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Big Sky · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Big Sky · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at Madison River at Kirby Ranch nr Cameron MT, 15 km upstream: 21.6 m³/s, low for November (updated 2 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 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits