Kayak Love

Kansas · river

Lake Arkansas River at Highway 50 near Halstead

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

44

Poor 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 14:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 13:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:29:29 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Lake Arkansas River at Highway 50 near Halstead
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Halstead Depot - 00133826.jpg by Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company, Public domain. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

17 mph

gusting to 33 mph

Air temp

73°F

40% chance of rain

River flow

1.71 cfs

low for this date

Weather outlook

Saturday · 97

  • Tue

    19

  • Wed

    39

  • Thu

    32

  • Fri

    52

  • Sat

    97

    Best

  • Sun

    69

  • Mon

    86

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)
9a1627
10a1732
11a1931
12p2029
1p2027
2p2232
3p2435
4p1423
5p1423
6p1323
7p919
8p611

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 1.71 cfs is 86% below the median for this date — which counts as low water here.

The median flow on this date is 12 cfs, across 29 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 — 17 mph — elevated wind-39
  • Gusts — Gusting to 33 mph — 16 mph over sustained-13
  • Rain — 40% chance in the next 6 hours-4

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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