Kayak Love

Illinois · river

Mississippi River at Grafton

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

98of 100

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Paddle Score, from live wind and water conditions

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

8 mph

gusting to 12 mph

Air temp

68°F

29% chance of rain

River flow

62,700 cfs

low for this date

Best day to paddle this week

Tuesday · 100

  • Today

    64

  • Sun

    61

  • Mon

    96

  • Tue

    100

    Best

  • Wed

    53

  • Thu

    52

  • Fri

    74

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)
11a812
12p712
1p712
2p812
3p915
4p1219
5p1323
6p1326
7p1226
8p1227
9p1329
10p1330

Is this flow normal for August 1?

Today's 62,700 cfs is 39% below the median for this date — which counts as low water here.

The median flow on this date is 102,000 cfs, across 38 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind8 mph — noticeable but manageable-2

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 Illinois