Kayak Love

Colorado · river

Colorado River below Baker Gulch near Grand Lake

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

80

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: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:45:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:15:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:48:32 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Colorado River below Baker Gulch near Grand Lake
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Rocky Mount N.P., Sunrise 8-30-12 (8141870069).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

5 mph

gusting to 6 mph

Air temp

47°F

14% chance of rain

River flow

13 cfs

very low for this date

Weather outlook

Saturday · 100

  • Tue

    95

  • Wed

    53

  • Thu

    61

  • Fri

    74

  • Sat

    100

    Best

  • Sun

    82

  • Mon

    99

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)
1a33
2a11
3a55
4a33
5a33
6a56
7a55
8a33
9a12
10a56
11a44
12p22

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 13 cfs is 43% below the median for this date — which counts as very low water here.

The median flow on this date is 23 cfs, across 72 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 — 5 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Cold — 47°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-20

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 Colorado →