Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
56Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: Wind 5 kn gusting 16, Air 14 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Mon 2 · 53 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 1.6 mm
Tue 3 · 48 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 8.7 mm
Wed 4 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 12.8 mm
Thu 5 · 65 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 64 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sat 7 · 50 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Sun 8 · 24 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 29kn
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 149, fair
- Mon 253, fair
- Tue 348, fair
- Wed 458, fair
- Thu 565, good
- Fri 664, good
- Sat 750, fair
- Sun 824, poor
- Mon 950, fair
- Tue 1045, fair
The spot in one fact
- Moving 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 49, fair | 9 kn | 22kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 53, fair | 6 kn | 13kn | 7°C | 1.6 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 48, fair | 4 kn | 7kn | 6°C | 8.7 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 58, fair | 5 kn | 12kn | 10°C | 12.8 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 65, good | 5 kn | 16kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 64, good | 6 kn | 16kn | 13°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 50, fair | 8 kn | 17kn | 6°C | 0.9 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 24, poor | 12 kn | 29kn | 2°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 50, fair | 3 kn | 16kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 45, fair | 5 kn | 16kn | 4°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
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).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 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
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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
Rivière Jacques-Cartier 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 Rivière Jacques-Cartier
A launch on the Rivière Jacques-Cartier. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 31 km away. No town nearby. Lac Delage, 38 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest place to stay we found: Chalet Lac-A-Noel, Lac-Jacques-Cartier, 20 km. Nearest beds: Lac Beauport, 43 km (about 1h 20m by car). Nearest airport: Quebec Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), 58 km.
- River Rivière Jacques-Cartier
- 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 OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 31 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$797–US$1,500 each
about US$797–US$1,500 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 YQB, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$174–US$355 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$308–US$576 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$181–US$342 |
| Total | about US$797–US$1,500 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 43 km away
No town nearby
Lac Delage, 38 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest place to stay we found: Chalet Lac-A-Noel, Lac-Jacques-Cartier, 20 km. Nearest beds: Lac Beauport, 43 km (about 1h 20m by car). Nearest airport: Quebec Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), 58 km.
See places to stay near Lac Beauport, 43 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 7h 15m
About 7h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → YQB, direct, then 1h 20m by road
Flights ORD → YQB on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Rivière Jacques-Cartier · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Rivière Jacques-Cartier · 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