Kayak Love

Illinois · river

Mississippi River at Grafton

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

100

Favorable 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 12:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMT.

Page checked: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:19:04 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Mississippi River at Grafton
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — IllinoisGreatRiverRoad north of Alton 20091122.jpg by Kbh3rd, CC BY-SA 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

5 mph

gusting to 11 mph

Air temp

73°F

15% chance of rain

River flow

24,900 cfs

very low for this date

Weather outlook

Wednesday · 94

  • Thu

    54

  • Fri

    44

  • Sat

    88

  • Sun

    87

  • Mon

    83

  • Tue

    87

  • Wed

    94

    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)
7a510
8a212
9a622
10a1125
11a1325
12p1424
1p1524
2p1321
3p1016
4p810
5p67
6p79

Is this flow normal for October 1?

Today's 24,900 cfs is 59% below the median for this date — which counts as very low water here.

The median flow on this date is 61,000 cfs, across 39 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 — 5 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0

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 →