Staying Home Sucks, home
Elkhart station from the Lake Shore Limited, March 2019
Near Elkhart River. Photo: Charles Fulton, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Elkhart River

Kayak spot · United States

Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river

Is it worth the trip?

81Good out of 100 for your dates

Home sucks

Best on Fri 6: Wind 6 kn gusting 14, Air 13 °C

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 85 out of 100

Wind
10 kn
Gusts
24kn
Air
22°C
Rain
0 mm

Wed 4 · 34 out of 100

Wind
14 kn
Gusts
27kntoo gusty
Air
20°C
Rain
2.5 mm

Thu 5 · 80 out of 100

Wind
10 kn
Gusts
24kn
Air
16°C
Rain
0 mm

Fri 6 · 90 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
14kn
Air
13°C
Rain
0 mm

Sat 7 · 88 out of 100

Wind
4 kn
Gusts
12kn
Air
12°C
Rain
0 mm

Sun 8 · 78 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
21kn
Air
9°C
Rain
3.6 mm

Mon 9 · 81 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
15kn
Air
9°C
Rain
0.3 mm

Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 288, good
  2. Tue 385, good
  3. Wed 434, poor
  4. Thu 580, good
  5. Fri 690, good
  6. Sat 788, good
  7. Sun 878, good
  8. Mon 981, good
  9. Tue 1079, good
  10. Wed 1186, 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.

Wind and weather forecast and score for each day at Elkhart River
DayScoreWindGustsAirRain
Mon 2Nov88, good7 kn17kn16°C0 mm
Tue 3Nov85, good10 kn24kn22°C0 mm
Wed 4Nov34, poor14 kn27kntoo gusty20°C2.5 mm
Thu 5Nov80, good10 kn24kn16°C0 mm
Fri 6Nov90, good6 kn14kn13°C0 mm
Sat 7Nov88, good4 kn12kn12°C0 mm
Sun 8Nov78, good6 kn21kn9°C3.6 mm
Mon 9Nov81, good6 kn15kn9°C0.3 mm
Tue 10Nov79, good7 kn22kn11°C0 mm
Wed 11Nov86, good4 kn12kn11°C0 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).

  1. Jan4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
  2. Feb5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
  3. Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
  4. Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
  5. May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
  6. Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
  7. Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
  8. Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
  9. Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
  10. Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
  11. Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
  12. 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

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.

Photos of Elkhart River

Mark L. and Harriet E. Monteith House site
Near Elkhart River. Photo: Nyttend, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

More kayaking near here

2 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Elkhart River

A launch on the Elkhart River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 14 km away. The town to stay in is Elkhart. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.

  • River Elkhart 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 14 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$913–US$1,630 each

about US$913–US$1,630 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 2 November 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Fuelabout 340 km there and back, sharedabout US$20–US$34
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$349–US$584
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$637
Kayak hire5 days, or bring your ownabout US$201–US$376
Totalabout US$913–US$1,630

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Elkhart

Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn

Closest

Elkhart

about 5 min by car · 7 places to stay

about US$134/nightcountry average

See 7 places to stay in Elkhart · Booking.com

About Elkhart 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 2h 15m

About 2h 15m door to door from Chicago

Drive: Drive, about 2h 15m

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.

On the water

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

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The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.