Is it worth the trip?
97Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 7 kn gusting 17, Air 21 °C
Tue 3 · 98 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 98 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 98 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 20kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 2.2 mm
Fri 6 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 21°C
- Rain
- 6.3 mm
Sat 7 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 87 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 3.3 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 295, good
- Tue 398, good
- Wed 498, good
- Thu 598, good
- Fri 6100, good
- Sat 793, good
- Sun 893, good
- Mon 987, good
- Tue 1084, good
- Wed 1178, good
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 | 95, good | 5 kn | 12kn | 17°C | 1.2 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 98, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 98, good | 7 kn | 16kn | 19°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 98, good | 8 kn | 20kn | 20°C | 2.2 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 100, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 21°C | 6.3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 93, good | 7 kn | 16kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 93, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 87, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 13°C | 3.3 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 84, good | 9 kn | 21kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 78, good | 9 kn | 22kn | 7°C | 0.9 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.
Map
the spot and its town
Ottari Lake 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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Ottari Lake
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. The town to stay in is Radford.
- 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.
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$1,190–US$2,140 each
about US$1,190–US$2,140 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 ORD to ROA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$141–US$295 |
| 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$1,190–US$2,140 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Radford
about 30 min by car · 4 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Radford 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 5h 10m
About 5h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ROA, direct, then 1h 25m by road
Flights ORD → ROA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Radford · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Radford · 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