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Nels Lake Public Water Access Site
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
64Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 2 kn gusting 9, Air 4 °C
Tue 3 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.8 mm
Wed 4 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 19.6 mm
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 25kntoo gusty
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 3.1 mm
Fri 6 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 0 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Mon 9 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 261, good
- Tue 372, good
- Wed 448, fair
- Thu 50, poor
- Fri 676, good
- Sat 765, good
- Sun 826, poor
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 1032, poor
- Wed 1163, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 61, good | 7 kn | 14kn | 11°C | 15.3 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 72, good | 7 kn | 13kn | 11°C | 0.8 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 48, fair | 9 kn | 17kn | 9°C | 19.6 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, poor | 13 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 4°C | 3.1 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 76, good | 0 kn | 6kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 65, good | 7 kn | 19kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 26, poor | 9 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 5°C | 2.7 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 5°C | 0.3 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 32, poor | 6 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 63, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 9°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
best Jun–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 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
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 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
Nels Lake Public Water Access Site 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
- Fenske Lake Public Water Access Site 2.6 km away
- Low Lake Public Water Access Site 8.1 km away
- Burntside Lake (NE) Public Water Access Site 8.2 km away
- Little Long Lake Public Water Access Site 8.4 km away
- Shagawa Lake (NW) Public Water Access Site 10.6 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Nels Lake Public Water Access Site
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 2.5 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ely. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- 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 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 2.5 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$1,170–US$2,120 each
about US$1,170–US$2,120 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to DLH, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$127–US$268 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$1,170–US$2,120 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Ely
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 25 min by car · 15 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Ely 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 5h 50m
About 5h 50m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DLH, direct, then 2h 25m by road
Flights ORD → DLH on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Ely · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Ely · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Echo Trail Outfitters 2.5 km
Piragis Outfitters 13 km
Canoe Country Outfitters 13 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