Kayak Love

Illinois · river

Kaskaskia River at Vandalia

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

68

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: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:00:00 GMT.

River observation: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:07:58 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Kaskaskia River at Vandalia
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Downtown Vandalia IL 1.jpg by Jon Platek, CC BY-SA 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

15 mph

gusting to 24 mph

Air temp

89°F

8% chance of rain

River flow

84.5 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Sunday · 93

  • Thu

    47

  • Fri

    53

  • Sat

    81

  • Sun

    93

    Best

  • Mon

    78

  • Tue

    87

  • Wed

    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)
1p1524
2p1726
3p1824
4p1724
5p1524
6p1123
7p917
8p916
9p1021
10p1332
11p922
12a920

Is this flow normal for October 1?

Today's 84.5 cfs is 20% below the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 105 cfs, across 56 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 — 15 mph — elevated wind-32

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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