Kayak Love

North Dakota · river

Red River of the North near Thompson

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

60

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 06:00:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 05:15:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:03:05 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Wind

12 mph

gusting to 23 mph

Air temp

63°F

87% chance of rain

River flow

722 cfs

very low for this date

Weather outlook

Wednesday · 83

  • Tue

    19

  • Wed

    83

    Best

  • Thu

    74

  • Fri

    75

  • Sat

    41

  • Sun

    82

  • Mon

    73

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)
1a1223
2a1118
3a1734
4a1529
5a1835
6a1015
7a611
8a411
9a612
10a1015
11a912
12p711

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 722 cfs is 47% below the median for this date — which counts as very low water here.

The median flow on this date is 1,360 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 — 12 mph — elevated wind-15
  • Gusts — Gusting to 23 mph — 11 mph over sustained-2
  • Rain — 87% chance in the next 6 hours-23

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 →