Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
64Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 7 kn gusting 17, Air 19 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 9.2 mm
Wed 4 · 71 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 11.3 mm
Thu 5 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 1.6 mm
Fri 6 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Mon 9 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 271, good
- Tue 370, good
- Wed 476, good
- Thu 562, good
- Fri 655, fair
- Sat 755, fair
- Sun 854, fair
- Mon 956, fair
- Tue 1062, good
- Wed 1155, fair
The spot in two facts
- Moving waterthe water
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 71, good | 10 kn | 22kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 70, good | 9 kn | 18kn | 18°C | 9.2 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 76, good | 6 kn | 17kn | 18°C | 11.3 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 62, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 11°C | 1.6 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 55, fair | 6 kn | 19kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 55, fair | 4 kn | 10kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 54, fair | 7 kn | 17kn | 7°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 56, fair | 5 kn | 13kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 62, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 55, fair | 3 kn | 10kn | 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–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 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
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 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
Otter Slide 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
2 places
- Wolf River 7.1 km away
- Herb's Landing 9.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Otter Slide
A launch. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. For expert paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is White Lake.
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
- 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$945–US$1,670 each
about US$945–US$1,670 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 875 km there and back, shared | about US$54–US$80 |
| 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$945–US$1,670 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: White Lake
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
about US$134/nightcountry average
About White Lake 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
Drive: Drive, about 5h 10m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in White Lake · GetYourGuideKayak hire in White Lake · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits