Kayak Love

Tennessee · river

French Broad River near Newport

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

89

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 08:30:00 GMT.

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

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:31:36 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near French Broad River near Newport
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — French Broad River, US 321, Newport, Tennessee - panoramio.jpg by Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

2 mph

gusting to 2 mph

Air temp

53°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

831 cfs

low for this date

Weather outlook

Tuesday · 100

  • Tue

    100

    Best

  • Wed

    100

  • Thu

    100

  • Fri

    100

  • Sat

    84

  • Sun

    84

  • Mon

    88

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)
4a11
5a34
6a35
7a13
8a12
9a02
10a22
11a23
12p25
1p57
2p46
3p46

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 831 cfs is 39% below the median for this date — which counts as low water here.

The median flow on this date is 1,360 cfs, across 122 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 — 2 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Cold — 53°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-11

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 Tennessee →