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Kansas | Northeast Kansas
Kansas River
Lecompton / Rising Sun to Lawrence Riverfront Park
Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
Use the gauge context and hourly forecast to verify local conditions before launching.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Lecompton / Rising Sun and take out at Lawrence Riverfront Park above Bowersock Dam for a 10.2-mile lower-Kaw day. The app uses the downstream De Soto USGS gauge as a proxy because the Lecompton route-corridor station did not have current visible instantaneous data during review.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Lecompton / Rising Sun Access RampLawrence Riverfront Park is above Bowersock Dam. Take out here before the dam unless your group has a separate expert plan with current local guide support.
Take-out
Lawrence Riverfront Park Access RampFriends of the Kaw says only highly skilled paddlers with Kaw River Guides should consider continuing through the Bowersock chute; this route does not include that chute or the downstream 8th Street access.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Lawrence Riverfront Park is above Bowersock Dam. Take out here before the dam unless your group has a separate expert plan with current local guide support.
- Friends of the Kaw says only highly skilled paddlers with Kaw River Guides should consider continuing through the Bowersock chute; this route does not include that chute or the downstream 8th Street access.
- Lecompton / Rising Sun has a dirt or gravel parking area, no restrooms or lighting, and a ramp that can collect mud after rain or during summer low-water periods.
- The De Soto gauge is downstream of this reach and downstream of Lawrence. Treat it as a broad lower-Kaw proxy and make a same-day visual call at Lecompton before committing.
- All access and parking are subject to same-day city, county, and ramp conditions. Mud, silt, events, high-water cleanup, and shifted sand can change ramp usability.
Watch for
- Low flows below about 1,000 cfs can make the channel narrow and sandbar navigation slow or technical.
- Flows above 5,000 cfs are outside the novice band, and above 8,000 cfs Friends of the Kaw says sandbar rest stops become scarce.
- Wind across open bends, storms, rising water, floating wood, strainers, bank hooks and fishing lines, and changing sandbars.
- The Lawrence take-out is mandatory for this route. Do not drift past Riverfront Park toward Bowersock Dam.
- Private banks along the Kaw; stay with public ramps and legal sandbar stops rather than climbing banks or using private land.
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Data and sources
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Kansas River at De Soto, KS |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Target band | 1,500 cfs to 5,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 1,000 cfs |
| High threshold | 8,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Friends of the Kaw safety bands and USACE Kansas River recreation flow impacts |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Public put-inLecompton / Rising Sun, RM 64.3
Friends of the Kaw lists the Lecompton / Rising Sun access with GPS 39.05057, -95.38764, river-left concrete ramp, gravel parking, kiosk, no restrooms or lighting, and rain/mud caveats.
- Public take-outLawrence Riverfront Park, RM 54.1
Friends of the Kaw lists Lawrence Riverfront Park above Bowersock Dam with GPS 38.97474, -95.23522 and warns that paddlers should take out here before continuing downstream toward the dam.
- Route distanceAbout 10.2 river miles
The Lecompton access page says the next access is Lawrence Riverfront Park 10.2 miles downstream at river mile 54.1.
- Public river and rampsKansas, Arkansas, and Missouri Rivers public in Kansas
Friends of the Kaw says the Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri Rivers are public rivers in Kansas and that all Kansas River boat ramps are open to the public.
- Flow safety bandsNovices under 5,000 cfs; all paddlers under 8,000 cfs
Friends of the Kaw recommends novice paddlers stay below 5,000 cfs and more experienced paddlers stay below 8,000 cfs; at 8,000 cfs and higher, few sandbars remain for rest stops.
- Low-flow recreation impacts<1,000 / 1,500-5,000 / 8,000+ cfs
USACE Kansas River recreation material identifies difficult paddling below 1,000 cfs, no recreation impacts from 1,500 to 5,000 cfs, novice impacts from 5,000 to 8,000 cfs, and extremely difficult paddling from 8,000 to 11,000 cfs.
- Proxy gaugeUSGS 06892350 at De Soto
USGS operates Kansas River at De Soto downstream of Lawrence. Use it as a lower-Kaw proxy rather than a precise Lecompton-to-Lawrence reading.
- Gauge rejectedUSGS 06891000 stale during review
The route-corridor Lecompton USGS station was reviewed but not selected because the official legacy page showed latest visible instantaneous data from May 23, 2026 during this May 30 review.
- Dam exitTake out before Bowersock Dam
Friends of the Kaw says Lawrence Riverfront Park is the take-out above Bowersock Dam and that only highly skilled paddlers with Kaw River Guides should continue through the chute.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
- Friends of the Kaw Kansas River access map
- Friends of the Kaw Lecompton / Rising Sun access
- Friends of the Kaw Lawrence Riverfront Park access
- Friends of the Kaw Paddle FAQ
- Friends of the Kaw river and sandbar safety
- USACE Kansas River recreation appendix
- USGS 06892350 Kansas River at De Soto
- USGS 06891000 Kansas River at Lecompton legacy current page
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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Quick answers
Kansas River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Kansas River?
Paddle Today watches Kansas River at De Soto, KS and treats 1,500 cfs to 5,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Kansas River route start and end?
This route starts at Lecompton / Rising Sun Access Ramp and ends at Lawrence Riverfront Park Access Ramp, about About 10.2 mi on the water.
Is this Kansas River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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