12' 5"
Length
29"
Width (in)
66
Weight (lb)
$1,449
MSRP

Kilroy Description

Designed for cruising the waterways with comfort and efficiency, with loads of storage and convenient accessories, the Tupelo is your premier, feature laden recreational kayak. Like touring and whitewater kayaks, the Tupelo comes sized for the paddler, with the 12.5 for larger paddlers and the lighter, narrower 12.0 ideal for medium or smaller paddlers. Ideal to match one of each for a couple. Both feature Jackson's removable and super comfy Elite Seat, with adjustable lumbar support. YakAttack tracks around the deck allow for you to accessorize with RAM products like rod holders, GPS, camera mounts, smart phones and more. Versatility, comfort, ease of use....the Tupelo has it all!

Kilroy Specs and Features

  • Structure: Rigid / Hard Shell
  • Cockpit Type: Sit Inside
  • Seating Configuration: Solo
  • Ideal Paddler Size: Average Adult, Larger Adult
  • Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate
  • Ideal Paddler Size: Average Adult, Larger Adult
  • Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Jackson Kayak
Kilroy Reviews

Read reviews for the Kilroy by Jackson Kayak as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

I have Musky fished since…

Submitted by: paddler490908 on 1/13/2020

I have Musky fished since 1967 in Eastern Kentucky streams in canoe's and I onboard ECT the Jackson Kilroy is by far superior to any other boat I have used.

5

I have owned and used my…

Submitted by: lgk123 on 7/29/2019

I have owned and used my Kilroy for about 3 years. Friends and me have been taking kayak trips down the Ocmulgee river. The last trip I had my Kilroy. It was a much better trip then our previous one in Old Town kayaks. 3 days in a kayak you want a comfortable seat. The Kilroy delivers. Very stable, if your tired of sitting you can stand and paddle it like a SUP. We go river fishing often and to me that is where the Kilroy shines. Everything has a place. If you were to tip over, you shouldn't lose anything. If there is any down side to this kayak, it is the weight. 74 pounds is nothing you want to hoist on top of a car by yourself.

5

I purchased a used Kilroy 2…

Submitted by: paddler443907 on 6/18/2018

I purchased a used Kilroy 2 weeks ago and I have used it every day since.

Now, that may not sound like a big deal, but to me it is life changing. I am a disabled veteran with a back injury (non chord) that has been getting progressively worse over the last 10 years. I love to kayak, but in the last 2 years, I can usually only manage about 3 trips a year due to the strain and drain the seats and the paddling motion put on my back.

The seat on the Kilroy allows me to adjust with ease and constantly adjust for my comfort needs which are always in flux. The cockpit room allows me to further enhance this by being to put my legs in whatever position feels best.

The stability means that I can even stand and move without extra strain on my core and back. The bottom line for me is that I am getting more than just great use out of my investment, my quality of life has improved, and isn't that what kayaking is really all about??!!!

I know that there are other kayaks out there with adjustable seats, but this one is mine and I love it! My wife has been excited at all the fun I have been having and now has caught the bug as well and wants a kayak of her own. Maybe we will get lucky and win one from Paddling.com; but if not I know where to tell her to turn to browse reviews to try to find the best fit for her wants/tastes/needs. My email is knowharm@gmail.com

5

I bought my Kilroy for a…

Submitted by: paddler236855 on 6/16/2016

I bought my Kilroy for a fishing trip to southern Louisiana where we were going for red fish. I have a Big Tuna, but wanted something a little easier to handle, and a little faster, as we would be fishing inshore about 45 miles south of NOLA. The Kilroy was awesome! On the second day, we paddled about 2 miles across the wind to fish...and about 2 miles back. The Kilroy tracked great, and moved easily across the open water.

Stability is great, and on several instances I was standing in the boat and sight casting...not as stable as the Big Tuna, but plenty stable for occasional standing. The rigging on the boat is great, and I've got a nice anchor trolley set up on the Kilroy without drilling holes.

All in all, great kayak...would highly recommend.

5

First Kayak Ever and all I can say is WOW! I was going…

Submitted by: paddler236853 on 6/13/2016
First Kayak Ever and all I can say is WOW!

I was going to purchase a fishing kayak for myself but I decided to get this bad boy so that I could take my wife out with me. I'm 6'3" weigh 220# and my wife is 5' weighing 120#. We have a 4 y/o with special needs and I wasn't sure if all three of us would be able to fit in the Kayak but it works perfectly. I put my wife's seat facing me and a mat in the middle between us and our little boy loves to go out on the lake. I only wish it wasn't so much for I'd love to get a few accessories for it but we used a 401k loan to get it. We are VERY pleased though. :) Great Kayak and WORTH every penny. Forgot to mention it is VERY stable too. I was shocked for I have only been in canoe's and am used to one little movement tipping over. :)

5

I am new to the Kayak world…

Submitted by: paddler236548 on 9/30/2015
I am new to the Kayak world and went big. My husband and I purchased two Jackson Kayaks, the Sexy Shad and the Dorado fishing kayaks. I wanted to be able to bring my German Shepherd. We love the kayaks but the dry storage boxes in the bow of each kayak leak! Everything was wet!! We did not tip once! For what we paid for these kayaks I would think they would not leak!!!
5

My wife and i have a camp in…

Submitted by: jmick35 on 9/5/2015
My wife and i have a camp in North central Pa. and do a lot of floating in the Clarion River. Last weekend I had an opportunity to try a Jackson Kilroy that belonged to another member of our group. I am considering a Jackson to add to our fleet of 4 kayaks so I was elated with the chance. I found the kayak to be a quality product and the seat with the multi level positioning to be one of the best I ever sat in.
5

I have 2 Jackson Kilroy…

Submitted by: Rugers_bud on 9/2/2015
I have 2 Jackson Kilroy kayaks that we use for recreational paddling, fishing and crabbing in Washington State. We have found this kayak to be very stable for all experience levels of users and have hauled in crab pots with over 20 crab in them with no issues. Several of our friends and family members are going to purchase Kilroys due to them taking a paddle in ours.
Awesome kayaks
4

I have been using the 2014…

Submitted by: Gregg on 8/16/2015
I have been using the 2014 model Jackson Kilroy for fishing and recreational paddling for about six months. Comfort and stability are outstanding, long days without much chance to get out of the boat are fine. I do not however, feel stable standing to fish. I'll have to work on this, but because others have reported ease of doing so, I did not expect this to be an issue.

I love the tackle storage in the side of the boat where it is easily accessed. I have not gotten the hang of putting rods in and out of the storage tubes while on the water. This is another thing others have said is easy. I would not call it easy. The soft and hard decks are cool, but I usually leave them at home. I prefer the side storage alternative.

In summary, the Kilroy is top notch for comfort and stability while fishing. It also tracks well and paddles well for a wide kayak.

5

As a note of disclosure, this…

Submitted by: mkenneth on 7/4/2015
As a note of disclosure, this is an early review after a handful of uses. I purchased a once used Kilroy in 2015 after having tried multiple other kayaks from friends and demos.

I primarily use a kayak for fishing in inland lakes and bays. I am looking for, in order of preference, stability, tracking, ability to customize, ease of paddling, weight, value for money.

Although I thought I wanted a sit on top kayak, I ended up with the Kilroy as it scored highly in the stability and tracking categories that I found significantly better in the Kilroy than in sit on top models from Wilderness, Jackson and a couple of others.

The stability of this kayak is excellent - as you are standing at or below the water level, i felt much more stable than sit on top kayaks.

I like the configurability of the Kilroy with the interchangeable hatch hard and soft covers. The tracks are well placed, and all the standard Jackson items are present such as paddle holders etc.

On the floor of the kayak there is a raised insert for standing on - at first look I thought it may be slick while wet, but I have not found an issue yet. I am likely to put down some traction pads in the future. The ridged design keeps most of any water that is in the kayak away from the ridges you stand on, which works very well.

So far, I have not found anything I do not like about the kayak and would recommend it for the type of paddling and fishing I am doing.

5

I have had my Jackson Kilroy…

Submitted by: edkay on 9/5/2014
I have had my Jackson Kilroy 12 for 14 months and it is an outstanding fly fishing kayak. It is extremely stable allowing me to safely stand when I want to have better visibility of the water or to maneuver my line for bringing in a fish. I have added 4 cleats for use with 2 small mushroom anchors. Jackson really gave much thought to the design. The two position seat, rod storage, rod holders rails, and could keep exclaiming the virtues that rate the Kilroy as a 10+! My wife and I have 2 Tsunami 14s and I will frequently take my Kilroy when we are out for a recreational paddle. I am 72 years old and an avid kayaker and fly fisher--the Kilroy has added a whole new dimension and quality to fly fishing? Thank you Jackson!
5

I just got to demo a Jackson…

Submitted by: matthellard on 7/3/2014
I just got to demo a Jackson Kilroy a couple weeks ago. It was very comfortable with adjustable seat that has a high back. It was very stable, tracked real well and was very nice to fish out of. with all the options they offer it is very good kayak.
5

I've owned my Kilroy for…

Submitted by: paddler233698 on 4/14/2014
I've owned my Kilroy for about 1 month now. I wanted a lower sitting kayak for fishing moving water. This kayak is made for fishing! Rod storage, tackle storage,comfy seat! I love the inside rod storage. It's a little tricky to use while sitting in the kayak, but manageable. It paddles great too, nice glide. There's lots of great fishing kayaks out there now. The deciding factors for me:
  1. Kilroy comes with lots of accessories.(Hard cover, soft cover, rod holders, tow flag, etc.)
  2. Great customer service! (you can actually call JK direct. I hope they never change this.
  3. Great colors to choose from.
My only complaint so far is, you cannot easily change the foot rests. I can live with this for now, I'll solve the problem myself later.

If you're looking for a kayak, Jackson is hard to beat.

5

My Kilroy fishes like a…

Submitted by: paddler235495 on 4/8/2014
My Kilroy fishes like a dream. It's sleek and fast, super stable even standing and casting. It has loads of storage and options for any accessory you could imagine.

This winter I used it as a floating duck hunting blind also. Same great qualities but the desert camo color really blends in well and the sit inside design lowers my profile over the water allowing me to blend into the edge of trees and brush. The ducks never saw me and were not expecting me in some never hunted spots. By giving me access to hunting spots virtually anywhere in the whole lake I could always be where the ducks were.

The Jackson Kayak Kilroy is a 4 season fishing, hunting dream boat!

5

I am 60 and have been a…

Submitted by: DonaldDean on 1/23/2014
I am 60 and have been a fisherman all my life but just recently got into kayak fishing. This is my first kayak so I'm a novice and really don't have any experience to compare to, but I researched the Kilroy and tried one out before buying at Ozark Mountain Trading Company near Springfield Missouri.

The Kilroy is really set up for fishing. I love the rod storage and the areas for tackle boxes. The seat is so comfortable I can fish all day. In the first models I believe Jackson had problems with the dry storage leaking, but it appears they have fixed the problem, because I have had no problems with mine.

I like the removable deck, which has areas for tackle tray storage and the fly patch. If I need to lay my rod down to paddle I lay the rod on the fly patch and it holds there very well. I like the floor in the Kilroy because it makes it easy to stand and fish.

The kayak is very stable and seams to be fairly fast through the water. The first time I used it I wasn't sure I could paddle up stream, but to my surprise I paddled upstream for about 2 miles. I am really pleased with this kayak.

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