Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
79Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: Wind 2 kn gusting 6, Air 15 °C
Mon 2 · 88 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 64 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 16.7 mm
Wed 4 · 84 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 14°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Fri 6 · 52 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 7.5 mm
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 180, good
- Mon 288, good
- Tue 364, good
- Wed 484, good
- Thu 580, good
- Fri 652, fair
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 881, good
- Mon 979, good
- Tue 1072, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 80, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 13°C | 0.7 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 88, good | 2 kn | 6kn | 15°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 64, good | 8 kn | 14kn | 14°C | 16.7 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 84, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 80, good | 5 kn | 18kn | 14°C | 2.7 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 52, fair | 9 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 7°C | 7.5 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 3 kn | 12kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 81, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 79, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 72, good | 2 kn | 9kntoo gusty | 9°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–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 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
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov3of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec3of 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
Walker Lake 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 Walker Lake Boat Ramp
A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 23 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Espanola.
- 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 23 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$1,060–US$1,920 each
about US$1,060–US$1,920 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 ORD to CIU, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$121–US$255 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$134–US$228 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$315–US$523 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$308–US$576 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$181–US$342 |
| Total | about US$1,060–US$1,920 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Espanola
33 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Espanola its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 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 7h 30m
About 7h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → CIU, direct, then 4h 10m by road
Flights ORD → CIU on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Espanola · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Espanola · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Killarney Outfitters rental canoes 23 km
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