Kayak Love

North Dakota · river

Red River of the North at Wahpeton

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

91

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: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:45:00 GMT.

River observation: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:53:50 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Red River of the North at Wahpeton
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Wahpeton Post Office.jpg by Andrew Filer, CC BY-SA 2.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

10 mph

gusting to 12 mph

Air temp

66°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

309 cfs

low for this date

Weather outlook

Wednesday · 100

  • Mon

    89

  • Tue

    65

  • Wed

    100

    Best

  • Thu

    74

  • Fri

    28

  • Sat

    26

  • Sun

    26

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)
12p1115
1p1012
2p910
3p910
4p911
5p911
6p714
7p815
8p919
9p920
10p920
11p818

Is this flow normal for October 19?

Today's 309 cfs is 50% below the median for this date — which counts as low water here.

The median flow on this date is 624 cfs, across 21 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 — 10 mph — moderate wind at the forecast location-9

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 North Dakota →