Otter Tail River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
70Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 29 out of 100
- Wind
- 14 kn
- Gusts
- 26kntoo gusty
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 2.8 mm
Wed 4 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 21kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 2.8 mm
Thu 5 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 20kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Sun 8 · 65 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Mon 9 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 254, fair
- Tue 329, poor
- Wed 463, good
- Thu 563, good
- Fri 681, good
- Sat 774, good
- Sun 865, good
- Mon 981, good
- Tue 1075, good
- Wed 1182, good
The spot in one fact
- Flat waterthe water
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 | 54, fair | 9 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 14°C | 31.1 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 29, poor | 14 kn | 26kntoo gusty | 10°C | 2.8 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 63, good | 12 kn | 21kn | 10°C | 2.8 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 63, good | 12 kn | 24kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 81, good | 1 kn | 7kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 74, good | 8 kn | 20kn | 9°C | 0.9 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 65, good | 11 kn | 24kn | 9°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 81, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 75, good | 7 kn | 13kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 82, good | 6 kn | 15kn | 10°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
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III 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
- May7of 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
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov4of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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
the spot and its town
Otter Tail 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.
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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 Otter Tail River
A launch on the Otter Tail River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. No paddling school, club or hire within 50 km on the map. The town to stay in is Fergus Falls.
- River Otter Tail River
- 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 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$1,010–US$1,780 each
about US$1,010–US$1,780 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 1995 km there and back, shared | about US$121–US$181 |
| 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$1,010–US$1,780 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Fergus Falls
about 15 min by car · 1 place to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Fergus Falls 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 11h 25m
About 11h 25m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 11h 25m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Fergus Falls · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Fergus Falls · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at OTTER TAIL RIVER NEAR ELIZABETH, MN, 11 km upstream: 5.21 m³/s, normal for November (updated 2 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
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits