Kayak Love

South Carolina · river

Saluda River below Lake Murray Dam near Columbia

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

90

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 17:15:00 GMT.

Page checked: Mon, 19 Oct 2026 17:49:55 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Saluda River below Lake Murray Dam near Columbia
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Yacht Cove Lake Murray SC.jpg by Thomas Kirchel, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

10 mph

gusting to 16 mph

Air temp

66°F

0% chance of rain

River flow

2,370 cfs

high for this date

Weather outlook

Thursday · 100

  • Mon

    89

  • Tue

    90

  • Wed

    91

  • Thu

    100

    Best

  • Fri

    83

  • Sat

    63

  • Sun

    71

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)
1p1016
2p1015
3p1118
4p1017
5p916
6p813
7p515
8p615
9p511
10p511
11p510
12a49

Is this flow normal for October 19?

Today's 2,370 cfs is 142% above the median for this date — which counts as high water here.

The median flow on this date is 981 cfs, across 37 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-10

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 South Carolina →