Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
51Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Thu 5: Wind 4 kn gusting 10, Air 11 °C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 13 kn
- Gusts
- 26kntoo gusty
- Air
- 19°C
- Rain
- 0.2 mm
Wed 4 · 35 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 19kntoo gusty
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 4.2 mm
Thu 5 · 75 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 2.5 mm
Fri 6 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 1.7 mm
Sat 7 · 73 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 35 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 18kntoo gusty
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 8.1 mm
Mon 9 · 0 out of 100
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 21kntoo gusty
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 1.5 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 30, poor
- Wed 435, poor
- Thu 575, good
- Fri 663, good
- Sat 773, good
- Sun 835, poor
- Mon 90, poor
- Tue 100, poor
- Wed 1169, good
- Thu 120, poor
The spot in three facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 33.5 kmthe section
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 0, poor | 13 kn | 26kntoo gusty | 19°C | 0.2 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 35, poor | 9 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 20°C | 4.2 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 75, good | 4 kn | 10kn | 11°C | 2.5 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 63, good | 7 kn | 18kn | 7°C | 1.7 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 73, good | 4 kn | 11kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 35, poor | 6 kn | 18kntoo gusty | 8°C | 8.1 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 21kntoo gusty | 8°C | 1.5 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, poor | 12 kn | 23kntoo gusty | 8°C | 0.9 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 69, good | 5 kn | 19kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 0, poor | 10 kn | 20kntoo gusty | 13°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
best Jun–Sep
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
- Feb2of 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 Wed 4 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
put-in, take-out, its town
Baxter Bridge 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.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- US-131 Roadside Park Boat Ramp 9.8 km away
- Lucas Road Boat Launch 17.3 km away
- Rainbow Jim Bridge Boat Ramp 20.4 km away
- Smithville Boat Ramp 27.8 km away
- Smithville Landing 28.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Baxter Bridge Boat Ramp
A river section on the Manistee River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 34 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 12 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 2. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Fife Lake.
- River Manistee River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 34 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 12 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$1,070–US$1,940 each
about US$1,070–US$1,940 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to TVC, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$114–US$235 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$67–US$107 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$1,070–US$1,940 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Fife Lake
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 25 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Fife Lake 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 3h 55m
About 3h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → TVC, direct, then 50 min by road
Flights ORD → TVC on your dates · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Fife Lake · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Fife Lake · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at MANISTEE RIVER NEAR SHERMAN, MI, 10 km downstream: 26.8 m³/s, normal for November (updated 2 h 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
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
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.