Kayak Love

North Dakota · river

Little Missouri River near Watford City

Live conditions for this USGS-monitored stretch of water, updated every 15 minutes.

84of 100

Good

Paddle Score, from live wind and water conditions

Photograph taken near Little Missouri River near Watford City
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Little Missouri in Theodore Roosevelt NP north unit ND.jpg by Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

12 mph

gusting to 19 mph

Air temp

83°F

4% chance of rain

River flow

5.65 cfs

very low for this date

Best day to paddle this week

Wednesday · 94

  • Today

    79

  • Tue

    83

  • Wed

    94

    Best

  • Thu

    60

  • Fri

    85

  • Sat

    37

  • Sun

    23

Scored from each day's peak forecast wind, heat, and rain chance — river flow isn't forecastable, so check back before you load the boat.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
5p1219
6p1222
7p1021
8p1115
9p613
10p45
11p24
12a33
1a44
2a43
3a62
4a79

Is this flow normal for August 17?

Today's 5.65 cfs is 94% below the median for this date — which counts as very low water here.

The median flow on this date is 101 cfs, across 90 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind12 mph — hard work, whitecaps likely-16

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, so the flow and weather are real — but 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 North Dakota