Alabama · Piedmont, AL

Terrapin Creek float season

Gauge 02400100 on the Piedmont outfitter runs down to Ellisville. Clear, spring-fed and shaded by the last folds of the Appalachians, Terrapin Creek is northeast Alabama's beloved summer tube-and-kayak hangout.

tubingcanoekayak Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Aug–Oct
Terrapin Creek — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 150 500 1k 2k
median flow for the date middle half of years (25th–75th percentile) most years (10th–90th)

Right now at this gauge

loading CFS

Checking the live gauge…

Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Terrapin Creek. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Piedmont gauge, the Terrapin Creek runs fullest Feb–Apr and leanest Aug–Oct. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past February days at this gauge ran above 471 CFS; the October median is 102 CFS.

Median of daily flows in each month across this gauge's full record — half of past days ran above these figures, half below.
Month Typical flow (CFS)
January 302
February 471
March 458
April 382
May 232
June 166
July 137
August 119
September 105
October 102
November 125
December 194

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1963 — 62 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 12,000 CFS, in October 1996. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.

Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.

More Alabama float rivers

Common questions

When is the Terrapin Creek usually at its fullest?

At the Piedmont gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in February (about 471 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Terrapin Creek?

The July median at this gauge is about 137 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Check the ribbon chart above to see how summer compares with the rest of the year here.

Is the Terrapin Creek safe to float right now?

No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 50 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.

Which USGS gauge does this page use?

USGS gauge 02400100 (TERRAPIN CREEK AT ELLISVILLE AL), chosen because it best represents the Piedmont outfitter runs down to Ellisville. Daily records here reach back to 1963.

Data: USGS gauge 02400100, approved daily records 1963–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.