Kayak Love

Kansas · river

Arkansas River near Nickerson

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

90

Favorable weather

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: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 04:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 04:25:00 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Arkansas River near Nickerson
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Arkansas River near Sterling KS.jpg by LDtronic01, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

10 mph

gusting to 19 mph

Air temp

69°F

2% chance of rain

River flow

40.1 cfs

low for this date

Weather outlook

Saturday · 100

  • Mon

    90

  • Tue

    62

  • Wed

    25

  • Thu

    47

  • Fri

    67

  • Sat

    100

    Best

  • Sun

    60

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)
11p1020
12a918
1a918
2a817
3a917
4a815
5a1018
6a1018
7a817
8a917
9a1227
10a1426

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 40.1 cfs is 54% below the median for this date — which counts as low water here.

The median flow on this date is 88 cfs, across 27 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 — 10 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-10

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 →