Kayak Love

New Hampshire · river

Smith River near Bristol

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

97

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: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:15:00 GMT.

River observation: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:18:16 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Smith River near Bristol
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — BristolNH TownHall.jpg by Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

0 mph

gusting to 2 mph

Air temp

58°F

2% chance of rain

River flow

63.6 cfs

high for this date

Weather outlook

Thursday · 97

  • Thu

    97

    Best

  • Fri

    77

  • Sat

    97

  • Sun

    94

  • Mon

    56

  • Tue

    41

  • Wed

    72

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)
8a12
9a26
10a38
11a413
12p411
1p712
2p815
3p714
4p814
5p614
6p515
7p48

Is this flow normal for October 1?

Today's 63.6 cfs is 154% above the median for this date — which counts as high water here.

The median flow on this date is 25 cfs, across 107 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 — 0 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Cold — 58°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-3

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

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