Kayak Love

South Dakota · river

Whetstone River near Big Stone City

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

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

87

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: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:45:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:00:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:56:42 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Whetstone River near Big Stone City
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Big Stone Lake from Ortonville.JPG by McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

10 mph

gusting to 18 mph

Air temp

64°F

43% chance of rain

River flow

11.6 cfs

normal for this date

Weather outlook

Sunday · 93

  • Tue

    56

  • Wed

    88

  • Thu

    62

  • Fri

    89

  • Sat

    54

  • Sun

    93

    Best

  • 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)
6a714
7a917
8a1018
9a1022
10a821
11a1128
12p1530
1p1323
2p1321
3p1115
4p812
5p914

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 11.6 cfs is 87% above the median for this date — which counts as normal water here.

The median flow on this date is 6 cfs, across 115 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-8
  • Rain — 43% chance in the next 6 hours-5

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 Dakota →