Kayak Love

Illinois · river

Little Crooked Creek near New Minden

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

74

Mostly favorable

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: Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:00:00 GMT.

River observation: Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:15:00 GMT.

Page checked: Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:08:33 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Wind

11 mph

gusting to 17 mph

Air temp

70°F

66% chance of rain

River flow

0.55 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Thursday · 99

  • Fri

    59

  • Sat

    84

  • Sun

    90

  • Mon

    82

  • Tue

    87

  • Wed

    95

  • Thu

    99

    Best

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)
3a1117
4a1014
5a915
6a1322
7a1222
8a1323
9a1220
10a1118
11a1116
12p1217
1p1417
2p1418

Is this flow normal for October 2?

Today's 0.55 cfs is 7% below the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 1 cfs, across 58 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 — 11 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-12
  • Rain — 66% chance in the next 6 hours-14

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 →