Staying Home Sucks, home

Tom Lake Public Water Access Site

Kayak spot · United States

Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river

Is it worth the trip?

73Good out of 100 for your dates

Home sucks

Best on Tue 3: Wind 2 kn gusting 3, Air 13 °C

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Tue 3 · 88 out of 100

Wind
2 kn
Gusts
3kn
Air
13°C
Rain
0.9 mm

Wed 4 · 72 out of 100

Wind
8 kn
Gusts
18kn
Air
11°C
Rain
8.8 mm

Thu 5 · 0 out of 100

Wind
14 kn
Gusts
31kntoo gusty
Air
5°C
Rain
1.2 mm

Fri 6 · 76 out of 100

Wind
1 kn
Gusts
9kn
Air
4°C
Rain
0 mm

Sat 7 · 71 out of 100

Wind
7 kn
Gusts
15kn
Air
4°C
Rain
0 mm

Sun 8 · 76 out of 100

Wind
6 kn
Gusts
13kn
Air
4°C
Rain
0.9 mm

Mon 9 · 78 out of 100

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

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

Forecast: next 9 days

Full forecast
  1. Tue 388, good
  2. Wed 472, good
  3. Thu 50, poor
  4. Fri 676, good
  5. Sat 771, good
  6. Sun 876, good
  7. Mon 978, good
  8. Tue 1072, good
  9. Wed 1175, 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 Tom Lake Public Water Access Site
DayScoreWindGustsAirRain
Tue 3Nov88, good2 kn3kn13°C0.9 mm
Wed 4Nov72, good8 kn18kn11°C8.8 mm
Thu 5Nov0, poor14 kn31kntoo gusty5°C1.2 mm
Fri 6Nov76, good1 kn9kn4°C0 mm
Sat 7Nov71, good7 kn15kn4°C0 mm
Sun 8Nov76, good6 kn13kn4°C0.9 mm
Mon 9Nov78, good4 kn14kn6°C0 mm
Tue 10Nov72, good6 kn22kn4°C0 mm
Wed 11Nov75, good6 kn21kn6°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. Jan5of 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. Apr5of 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. Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
  11. Nov5of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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.

Kayak spot

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Tom Lake Public Water Access Site

A launch on the Swamp River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. None within 10 km, the nearest 28 km away. No town nearby. Neebing, 55 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest place to stay we found: South Carlson Pond Camp, East Cook, 8 km. Nearest beds: Lutsen, 55 km. Nearest airport: Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT), 74 km.

  • River Swamp 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 28 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$825–US$1,530 each

about US$825–US$1,530 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 CMX, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bagabout US$127–US$262
Hire car6 days, sharedabout US$154–US$255
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$825–US$1,530

No town nearby, so no stay is in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: nearest beds 55 km away

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

No town nearby

Neebing, 55 km away, is the nearest town we list; we have not checked places to stay there. Nearest place to stay we found: South Carlson Pond Camp, East Cook, 8 km. Nearest beds: Lutsen, 55 km. Nearest airport: Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT), 74 km.

See places to stay near Lutsen, 55 km away · Booking.com

Getting there: about 6h 10m

About 6h 10m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → CMX, direct, then 2h 50m by road

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

On the water

Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby

No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.

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.