Kayak Love

Illinois · river

East Branch Du Page River near Downers Grove

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

94

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: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:45:00 GMT.

River observation: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:20:00 GMT.

Page checked: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:56:47 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near East Branch Du Page River near Downers Grove
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Hidden Lake County Forest Preserve in Illinois, US 04.jpg by SimLibrarian, CC0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

6 mph

gusting to 13 mph

Air temp

66°F

44% chance of rain

River flow

97.5 cfs

very high for this date

Weather outlook

Saturday · 99

  • Thu

    55

  • Fri

    75

  • Sat

    99

    Best

  • Sun

    89

  • Mon

    97

  • Tue

    93

  • Wed

    79

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)
7a49
8a411
9a817
10a519
11a819
12p721
1p919
2p716
3p714
4p49
5p37
6p1219

Is this flow normal for October 1?

Today's 97.5 cfs is 306% above the median for this date — which counts as very high water here.

The median flow on this date is 24 cfs, across 36 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 — 6 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Rain — 44% chance in the next 6 hours-6

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 Illinois →