Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
93Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 6 kn gusting 13, Air 20 °C
Tue 3 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 20kntoo gusty
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 23°C
- Rain
- 21.2 mm
Thu 5 · 99 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 100 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 96 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 89 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 16°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 288, good
- Tue 383, good
- Wed 486, good
- Thu 599, good
- Fri 6100, good
- Sat 796, good
- Sun 889, good
- Mon 979, good
- Tue 1091, good
- Wed 1195, 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 | 88, good | 9 kn | 19kn | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 83, good | 10 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 23°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 86, good | 9 kn | 18kn | 23°C | 21.2 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 99, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 100, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 20°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 96, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 89, good | 6 kn | 11kn | 16°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 79, good | 7 kn | 23kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 91, good | 5 kn | 12kn | 14°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 95, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 18°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).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 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
- Dec7of 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
Sportsman's Park Boat Ramp 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 Sportsman's Park Boat Ramp
A launch on the Elk 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 Madison.
- River Elk 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$1,000–US$1,760 each
about US$1,000–US$1,760 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 1870 km there and back, shared | about US$114–US$167 |
| 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$1,000–US$1,760 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Madison
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 1h 10m by car · 17 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Madison 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 10h 45m
About 10h 45m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 10h 45m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Madison · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Madison · 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