Kayak Love

Illinois · river

Salt Creek near Rowell

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

89

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: Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT.

River observation: Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:06:46 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Wind

10 mph

gusting to 20 mph

Air temp

59°F

1% chance of rain

River flow

45.2 cfs

high for this date

Weather outlook

Saturday · 91

  • Fri

    57

  • Sat

    91

    Best

  • Sun

    87

  • Mon

    87

  • Tue

    90

  • Wed

    82

  • Thu

    63

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)
9a1020
10a1221
11a1320
12p1319
1p1419
2p1317
3p1317
4p1318
5p1217
6p1119
7p814
8p815

Is this flow normal for October 2?

Today's 45.2 cfs is 311% above the median for this date — which counts as high water here.

The median flow on this date is 11 cfs, across 48 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
  • Cold — 59°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-2

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 →