Kayak Love

Michigan · river

Manistee River near Mesick

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

76

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: Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT.

River observation: Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT.

Page checked: Wed, 30 Sep 2026 04:33:48 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Manistee River near Mesick
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Manistee River Trail - panoramio.jpg by CHRIS BROWN, CC BY 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

7 mph

gusting to 19 mph

Air temp

62°F

77% chance of rain

River flow

1,100 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Saturday · 100

  • Wed

    54

  • Thu

    81

  • Fri

    83

  • Sat

    100

    Best

  • Sun

    71

  • Mon

    84

  • Tue

    70

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)
12a618
1a718
2a718
3a718
4a920
5a817
6a1020
7a919
8a919
9a1126
10a921
11a1225

Is this flow normal for September 30?

Today's 1,100 cfs is 8% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 1,020 cfs, across 28 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 — 7 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Gusts — Gusting to 19 mph — 12 mph over sustained-5
  • Rain — 77% chance in the next 6 hours-19

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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