Kayak Love

Illinois · river

Salt Creek at Elk Grove Village

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

69

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: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT.

Page checked: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:25:44 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Salt Creek at Elk Grove Village
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, USA - panoramio.jpg by bogdanstepniak, CC BY 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

6 mph

gusting to 19 mph

Air temp

71°F

98% chance of rain

River flow

136 cfs

high for this date

Weather outlook

Saturday · 98

  • Thu

    59

  • Fri

    53

  • Sat

    98

    Best

  • Sun

    89

  • Mon

    95

  • Tue

    88

  • Wed

    76

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)
12p514
1p617
2p717
3p720
4p611
5p713
6p813
7p919
8p1123
9p614
10p414
11p210

Is this flow normal for October 1?

Today's 136 cfs is 339% above the median for this date — which counts as high water here.

The median flow on this date is 31 cfs, across 9 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 — 6 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Gusts — Gusting to 19 mph — 13 mph over sustained-6
  • Rain — 98% chance in the next 6 hours-25

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 →