Is it worth the trip?
46Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 6 kn gusting 14, Air 9 °C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 22kntoo gusty
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0.8 mm
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 21kntoo gusty
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 5.1 mm
Thu 5 · 32 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kntoo gusty
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 22kntoo gusty
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.9 mm
Sat 7 · 73 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 1.8 mm
Mon 9 · 61 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 19kntoo gusty
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 271, good
- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 40, poor
- Thu 532, poor
- Fri 60, poor
- Sat 773, good
- Sun 867, good
- Mon 961, good
- Tue 1073, good
- Wed 1174, good
The spot in one fact
- 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.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 71, good | 8 kn | 14kn | 17°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 22°C | 0.8 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 17°C | 5.1 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 32, poor | 9 kn | 17kntoo gusty | 11°C | 1.2 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 22kntoo gusty | 11°C | 0.9 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 73, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 67, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 10°C | 1.8 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 61, good | 5 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 73, good | 6 kn | 18kn | 12°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 74, good | 4 kn | 8kn | 10°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
best Jun–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May5of 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
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- 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
Van Patten Woods Canoe Launch 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 Van Patten Woods Canoe Launch
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7; in February, about 1. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Winthrop Harbor.
- 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.
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$904–US$1,610 each
about US$904–US$1,610 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 180 km there and back, shared | about US$13–US$13 |
| 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$904–US$1,610 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Winthrop Harbor
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 15 min by car · 6 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Winthrop Harbor 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 1h 20m
About 1h 20m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 1h 20m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Winthrop Harbor · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Winthrop Harbor · 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