Shellmound Ramp (Nickajack)
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
89Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: Wind 1 kn gusting 6, Air 23 °C
Tue 3 · 43 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 12kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 17.9 mm
Thu 5 · 99 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 95 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 93 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 0 kn
- Gusts
- 5kntoo gusty
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 287, good
- Tue 343, poor
- Wed 480, good
- Thu 599, good
- Fri 695, good
- Sat 793, good
- Sun 892, good
- Mon 984, good
- Tue 1070, good
- Wed 110, poor
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 | 87, good | 3 kn | 8kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 43, poor | 5 kn | 12kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 80, good | 7 kn | 17kn | 20°C | 17.9 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 99, good | 1 kn | 6kn | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 95, good | 2 kn | 7kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 93, good | 2 kn | 8kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 92, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 84, good | 0 kn | 5kntoo gusty | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 70, good | 5 kn | 13kntoo gusty | 10°C | 0.3 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 0, poor | 7 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 13°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 new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 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
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 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
Shellmound Ramp (Nickajack) 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.
More kayaking near here
2 places
- Nickajack, Below Dam (TN River) 1.2 km away
- Macedonia Church (Cole City Creek) 1.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Shellmound Ramp (Nickajack)
A launch. 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 Kimball. Within 5 km we also list 5 kayak spots.
- 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$1,180–US$2,130 each
about US$1,180–US$2,130 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 MDW to TYS, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$134–US$281 |
| 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$1,180–US$2,130 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Kimball
about 15 min by car · 14 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Kimball 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 6h 40m
About 6h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly MDW → TYS, direct, then 3h 15m by road
Flights MDW → TYS on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Kimball · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Kimball · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits