Winnebago River
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
72Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 5 kn gusting 10, Air 15 °C
Mon 2 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 28kntoo gusty
- Air
- 17°C
- Rain
- 5.9 mm
Tue 3 · 92 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 15°C
- Rain
- 7.4 mm
Wed 4 · 88 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0.4 mm
Thu 5 · 67 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Fri 6 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 73 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 31 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 25kntoo gusty
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 1.8 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 185, good
- Mon 20, poor
- Tue 392, good
- Wed 488, good
- Thu 567, good
- Fri 680, good
- Sat 773, good
- Sun 831, poor
- Mon 985, good
- Tue 1087, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 3.8 kmthe section
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 | 85, good | 7 kn | 15kn | 19°C | 0.2 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 0, poor | 13 kn | 28kntoo gusty | 17°C | 5.9 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 92, good | 5 kn | 10kn | 15°C | 7.4 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 88, good | 4 kn | 9kn | 12°C | 0.4 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 67, good | 10 kn | 19kn | 11°C | 1.2 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 80, good | 7 kn | 16kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 73, good | 11 kn | 22kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 31, poor | 11 kn | 25kntoo gusty | 8°C | 1.8 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 85, good | 5 kn | 20kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 87, good | 6 kn | 14kn | 12°C | 0 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
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
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 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
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec6of 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
put-in, take-out, its town
Winnebago River 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.
More kayaking near here
1 place
- Goranson Access 3.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Winnebago River
A river section on the Winnebago River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 3.8 km along the 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 Mason City. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River Winnebago River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 3.8 km along the river.
- 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$1,160–US$2,080 each
about US$1,160–US$2,080 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 ALO, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$114–US$234 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$154–US$255 |
| 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 about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$1,160–US$2,080 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Mason City
3 min by car · 13 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Mason City 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 5h
About 5h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ALO, direct, then 1h 55m by road
Flights ORD → ALO on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Mason City · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Mason City · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at Winnebago River at Mason City, IA, 2 km upstream: 6.43 m³/s, normal for November (updated 52 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
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 50 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits