Kayak Love

Kansas · river

Arkansas River at Great Bend

USGS monitoring location. Launch access and paddling suitability have not been verified.

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

82

Mostly favorable

Weather score out of 100

Weather only. This is a monitoring station, not a verified launch. Access, hazards and suitable flow are unknown.

Weather observation: Sun, 08 Nov 2026 16:00:00 GMT.

River observation: Sun, 08 Nov 2026 15:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Sun, 08 Nov 2026 16:02:10 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Arkansas River at Great Bend
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — High Rise Apartments Barton Co KS southeast elevation.jpg by SharonPapierdreams, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

9 mph

gusting to 17 mph

Air temp

52°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

3 cfs

low for this date

Weather outlook

Tuesday · 97

  • Sun

    89

  • Mon

    86

  • Tue

    97

    Best

  • Wed

    29

  • Thu

    29

  • Fri

    77

  • Sat

    84

Compares forecast wind, air temperature and rain. Does not assess river flow, swell, currents, water temperature or launch access. All times are local to this location.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
10a917
11a1117
12p914
1p912
2p710
3p57
4p44
5p45
6p57
7p56
8p44
9p11

Is this flow normal for November 8?

Today's 3 cfs is 87% below the median for this date — which counts as low water here.

The median flow on this date is 23 cfs, across 85 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind — 9 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-6
  • Cold — 52°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-12

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, and uses available public readings. We haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

Nearby water

All paddling spots in Kansas →