Kayak Love

West Virginia · river

Gauley River near Craigsville

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

97

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 03:30:00 GMT.

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

Photograph taken near Gauley River near Craigsville
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Craigsville, West Virginia - panoramio.jpg by Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

1 mph

gusting to 4 mph

Air temp

58°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

824 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Tuesday · 100

  • Tue

    100

    Best

  • Wed

    100

  • Thu

    92

  • Fri

    86

  • Sat

    63

  • Sun

    63

  • Mon

    91

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)
12a14
1a23
2a34
3a44
4a44
5a33
6a44
7a44
8a33
9a12
10a26
11a46

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 824 cfs is 222% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 256 cfs, across 60 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 — 1 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Cold — 58°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-3

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 West Virginia →