Kayak Love

Minnesota · river

Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

62

Mixed 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: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:15:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:28:52 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Otter Tail River below Orwell D near Fergus Falls
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Otter Tail County Historical Museum-01.jpg by Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

15 mph

gusting to 23 mph

Air temp

64°F

48% chance of rain

River flow

379 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Friday · 86

  • Tue

    29

  • Wed

    84

  • Thu

    70

  • Fri

    86

    Best

  • Sat

    52

  • Sun

    85

  • Mon

    68

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)
9a1620
10a1224
11a1326
12p1021
1p1017
2p714
3p711
4p47
5p58
6p711
7p69
8p48

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 379 cfs is 51% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 251 cfs, across 94 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 — 15 mph — elevated wind-31
  • Rain — 48% chance in the next 6 hours-7

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 Minnesota →