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Northbrook, the nearest town, 7 km away. Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim from New York City, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Skokie River

Kayak spot · United States

Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river

Is it worth the trip?

46Fair out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Sat 7: Wind 4 kn gusting 13, Air 11 °C

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 0 out of 100

Wind
12 kn
Gusts
23kntoo gusty
Air
22°C
Rain
0.3 mm

Wed 4 · 27 out of 100

Wind
9 kn
Gusts
20kntoo gusty
Air
18°C
Rain
20 mm

Thu 5 · 32 out of 100

Wind
9 kn
Gusts
18kntoo gusty
Air
13°C
Rain
0 mm

Fri 6 · 76 out of 100

Wind
5 kn
Gusts
15kn
Air
12°C
Rain
1.2 mm

Sat 7 · 82 out of 100

Wind
4 kn
Gusts
13kn
Air
11°C
Rain
0.6 mm

Sun 8 · 31 out of 100

Wind
8 kn
Gusts
19kntoo gusty
Air
10°C
Rain
1.5 mm

Mon 9 · 0 out of 100

Wind
11 kn
Gusts
25kntoo gusty
Air
9°C
Rain
0 mm

Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 273, good
  2. Tue 30, poor
  3. Wed 427, poor
  4. Thu 532, poor
  5. Fri 676, good
  6. Sat 782, good
  7. Sun 831, poor
  8. Mon 90, poor
  9. Tue 1074, good
  10. Wed 1168, good

The spot in two facts

  • Flat waterthe water
  • Best Jun–Aug7 good days in 7

Full forecast

every day, every number

The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.

Wind and weather forecast and score for each day at Skokie River
DayScoreWindGustsAirRain
Mon 2Nov73, good8 kn20kn16°C0.2 mm
Tue 3Nov0, poor12 kn23kntoo gusty22°C0.3 mm
Wed 4Nov27, poor9 kn20kntoo gusty18°C20 mm
Thu 5Nov32, poor9 kn18kntoo gusty13°C0 mm
Fri 6Nov76, good5 kn15kn12°C1.2 mm
Sat 7Nov82, good4 kn13kn11°C0.6 mm
Sun 8Nov31, poor8 kn19kntoo gusty10°C1.5 mm
Mon 9Nov0, poor11 kn25kntoo gusty9°C0 mm
Tue 10Nov74, good6 kn18kn11°C0 mm
Wed 11Nov68, good7 kn12kn10°C0 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 Jun–Aug

Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

  1. Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
  2. Feb2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
  3. Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
  4. Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
  5. May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
  6. Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
  7. Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
  8. Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
  9. Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
  10. Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
  11. Nov3of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
  12. 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

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

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Skokie River

A launch on the Skokie River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 0.4 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Northbrook. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.

  • River Skokie River
  • Grade No grade is stated.
  • Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
  • Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
  • Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 0.4 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$899–US$1,600 each

about US$899–US$1,600 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 2 November 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Fuelabout 80 km there and back, sharedabout US$7–US$7
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$349–US$584
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$637
Kayak hire5 days, or bring your ownabout US$201–US$376
Totalabout US$899–US$1,600

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Northbrook

Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn

Closest

Northbrook

about 15 min by car

about US$134/nightcountry average

See places to stay in Northbrook · Booking.com

About Northbrook 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 2 November 2026.

Getting there: about 45 min

About 45 min door to door from Chicago

Drive: Drive, about 45 min

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

On the water

River level

Gauge at SKOKIE RIVER NEAR HIGHLAND PARK, IL, 7 km upstream: 0.073 m³/s, low for November (updated 33 min 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

The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits