Otter Tail River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
42Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 1 kn gusting 7, Air 7 °C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 16 kn
- Gusts
- 28kntoo gusty
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 2.8 mm
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 21kntoo gusty
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 2.8 mm
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 22kntoo gusty
- 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 · 61 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 20kntoo gusty
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 23kntoo gusty
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Mon 9 · 73 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 20, poor
- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 40, poor
- Thu 50, poor
- Fri 681, good
- Sat 761, good
- Sun 80, poor
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 1063, good
- Wed 1171, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best in Jul7 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 | 0, poor | 15 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 14°C | 31.1 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | 16 kn | 28kntoo gusty | 10°C | 2.8 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 10°C | 2.8 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 81, good | 1 kn | 7kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 61, good | 8 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 9°C | 0.9 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, poor | 13 kn | 23kntoo gusty | 9°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 4 kn | 14kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 63, good | 7 kn | 13kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 71, 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
best in Jul
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec2of 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.
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 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. For new paddlers the best month is usually July, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. 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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
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: 3.96 m³/s, normal for November (updated 3 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