Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
73Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 4 kn gusting 9, Air 17 °C
Tue 3 · 94 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Wed 4 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 4.9 mm
Thu 5 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 16 kn
- Gusts
- 34kntoo gusty
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 6.3 mm
Fri 6 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 74 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 281, good
- Tue 394, good
- Wed 467, good
- Thu 50, poor
- Fri 675, good
- Sat 774, good
- Sun 875, good
- Mon 977, good
- Tue 1035, poor
- Wed 1176, 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 | 81, good | 2 kn | 4kn | 9°C | 7 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 94, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 17°C | 0.1 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 67, good | 10 kn | 22kn | 10°C | 4.9 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 0, poor | 16 kn | 34kntoo gusty | 4°C | 6.3 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 75, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 74, good | 3 kn | 8kn | 3°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 75, good | 5 kn | 15kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 77, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 35, poor | 7 kn | 26kntoo gusty | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 76, good | 6 kn | 15kn | 5°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).
- Jan5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 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
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec5of 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
Tom Lake Public Water Access Site 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.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Tom Lake Public Water Access Site
A launch on the Swamp River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 28 km away. No town nearby. Neebing, 55 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest place to stay we found: South Carlson Pond Camp, East Cook, 8 km. Nearest beds: Lutsen, 55 km. Nearest airport: Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT), 74 km.
- River Swamp 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 None within 10 km, the nearest 28 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$824–US$1,530 each
about US$824–US$1,530 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 CMX, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$127–US$261 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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$824–US$1,530 |
No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: nearest beds 55 km away
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
No town nearby
Neebing, 55 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest place to stay we found: South Carlson Pond Camp, East Cook, 8 km. Nearest beds: Lutsen, 55 km. Nearest airport: Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT), 74 km.
See places to stay near Lutsen, 55 km away · Booking.comGetting there: about 6h 10m
About 6h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CMX, direct, then 2h 50m by road
Flights ORD → CMX on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Tom Lake Public Water Access Site · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Tom Lake Public Water Access Site · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits