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Shagawa Lake, Ely MN in July 2006 - panoramio
Shagawa Lake (S) Public Water Access Site. Photo: Michael A. Orlando, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Shagawa Lake (S) Public Water Access Site

Kayak spot · United States

Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river

Is it worth the trip?

51Fair out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Mon 9: Wind 3 kn gusting 15, Air 5 °C

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Wed 4 · 41 out of 100

Wind
10 kn
Gusts
19kn
Air
9°C
Rain
21.2 mm

Thu 5 · 0 out of 100

Wind
12 kn
Gusts
25kntoo gusty
Air
5°C
Rain
0 mm

Fri 6 · 72 out of 100

Wind
4 kn
Gusts
12kn
Air
6°C
Rain
0 mm

Sat 7 · 60 out of 100

Wind
8 kn
Gusts
19kn
Air
8°C
Rain
0.6 mm

Sun 8 · 0 out of 100

Wind
13 kn
Gusts
27kntoo gusty
Air
5°C
Rain
0.3 mm

Mon 9 · 74 out of 100

Wind
3 kn
Gusts
15kn
Air
5°C
Rain
0.3 mm

Tue 10 · 32 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
20kntoo gusty
Air
5°C
Rain
0.6 mm

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

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Tue 363, good
  2. Wed 441, poor
  3. Thu 50, poor
  4. Fri 672, good
  5. Sat 760, good
  6. Sun 80, poor
  7. Mon 974, good
  8. Tue 1032, poor
  9. Wed 1163, good
  10. Thu 1280, good

The spot in two facts

  • Flat waterthe water
  • Best Jun–Aug7 good days in 7

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 Shagawa Lake (S) Public Water Access Site
DayScoreWindGustsAirRain
Tue 3Nov63, good9 kn16kn10°C2 mm
Wed 4Nov41, poor10 kn19kn9°C21.2 mm
Thu 5Nov0, poor12 kn25kntoo gusty5°C0 mm
Fri 6Nov72, good4 kn12kn6°C0 mm
Sat 7Nov60, good8 kn19kn8°C0.6 mm
Sun 8Nov0, poor13 kn27kntoo gusty5°C0.3 mm
Mon 9Nov74, good3 kn15kn5°C0.3 mm
Tue 10Nov32, poor6 kn20kntoo gusty5°C0.6 mm
Wed 11Nov63, good7 kn13kn9°C0 mm
Thu 12Nov80, good4 kn11kn11°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

best Jun–Aug

Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).

  1. Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
  2. Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
  3. Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
  4. Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
  5. May6of 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. Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
  10. Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
  11. Nov3of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
  12. 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

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 Shagawa Lake (S) Public Water Access Site

20180302-FS-LSC-0855
Photo: Forest Service, USDA, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Shagawa Lake (S) Public Water Access Site

A launch. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. 5 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 1.0 km away. For new paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Ely. Within 5 km we also list 3 kayak spots.

  • 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 5 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 1.0 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$1,170–US$2,120 each

about US$1,170–US$2,120 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 2 November 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to DLH, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$127–US$268
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$154–US$255
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$349–US$584
Food7 days eating outabout US$342–US$637
Kayak hire5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$201–US$376
Totalabout US$1,170–US$2,120

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: Ely

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

Closest

Ely

about 5 min by car · 15 places to stay

about US$134/nightcountry average

See 15 places to stay in Ely · Booking.com

About Ely 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 5h 50m

About 5h 50m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → DLH, direct, then 2h 25m by road

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.