Staying Home Sucks, home
Irving Dam Thornapple River DSCN0162
Irving, the nearest town, 8 km away. Photo: Larry Pieniazek, Lar (commons) or User:Lar (primary), CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

McDonald Lake Canoe Launch

Kayak spot · United States

Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river

Is it worth the trip?

90Good out of 100 for your dates

Home sucks

Best on Tue 3: Wind 11 kn gusting 24, Air 21 °C

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 97 out of 100

Wind
11 kn
Gusts
24kn
Air
21°C
Rain
0 mm

Wed 4 · 91 out of 100

Wind
13 kn
Gusts
29kn
Air
20°C
Rain
5.3 mm

Thu 5 · 91 out of 100

Wind
11 kn
Gusts
22kn
Air
15°C
Rain
0 mm

Fri 6 · 88 out of 100

Wind
2 kn
Gusts
6kn
Air
12°C
Rain
2.1 mm

Sat 7 · 87 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
14kn
Air
12°C
Rain
1.5 mm

Sun 8 · 81 out of 100

Wind
9 kn
Gusts
17kn
Air
9°C
Rain
7.2 mm

Mon 9 · 82 out of 100

Wind
8 kn
Gusts
26kn
Air
10°C
Rain
0.3 mm

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

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Mon 294, good
  2. Tue 397, good
  3. Wed 491, good
  4. Thu 591, good
  5. Fri 688, good
  6. Sat 787, good
  7. Sun 881, good
  8. Mon 982, good
  9. Tue 1078, good
  10. Wed 1184, 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 McDonald Lake Canoe Launch
DayScoreWindGustsAirRain
Mon 2Nov94, good9 kn21kn17°C0 mm
Tue 3Nov97, good11 kn24kn21°C0 mm
Wed 4Nov91, good13 kn29kn20°C5.3 mm
Thu 5Nov91, good11 kn22kn15°C0 mm
Fri 6Nov88, good2 kn6kn12°C2.1 mm
Sat 7Nov87, good6 kn14kn12°C1.5 mm
Sun 8Nov81, good9 kn17kn9°C7.2 mm
Mon 9Nov82, good8 kn26kn10°C0.3 mm
Tue 10Nov78, good12 kn25kn11°C0 mm
Wed 11Nov84, good6 kn15kn11°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.

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.

More kayaking near here

1 place

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About McDonald Lake Canoe Launch

A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 16 km away. The town to stay in is Irving. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.

  • 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 16 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$919–US$1,640 each

about US$919–US$1,640 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 490 km there and back, sharedabout US$27–US$47
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$919–US$1,640

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Irving

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

Closest

Irving

about 15 min by car

about US$134/nightcountry average

See places to stay in Irving · Booking.com

About Irving 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 05m

About 3h 05m door to door from Chicago

Drive: Drive, about 3h 05m

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.