Kayak Love

South Dakota · river

Big Sioux River at North Cliff Ave at Sioux Falls

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

62

Mixed 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 14:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:39:51 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Big Sioux River at North Cliff Ave at Sioux Falls
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Sioux Falls Park, Sioux Falls, SD 2005 (6555830511).jpg by inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

11 mph

gusting to 24 mph

Air temp

64°F

83% chance of rain

River flow

372 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Wednesday · 100

  • Tue

    53

  • Wed

    100

    Best

  • Thu

    60

  • Fri

    85

  • Sat

    60

  • Sun

    97

  • Mon

    75

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)
9a1024
10a25
11a1117
12p818
1p715
2p918
3p917
4p615
5p414
6p412
7p37
8p47

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 372 cfs is 107% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 180 cfs, across 53 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 — 11 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-11
  • Gusts — Gusting to 24 mph — 13 mph over sustained-6
  • Rain — 83% chance in the next 6 hours-21

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

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