Alaska · Fairbanks, AK

Chena River float season

Gauge 15514000 on the Chena River through Fairbanks. Fairbanks' midnight-sun town float, where canoes and tubes drift past riverfront decks under an Alaska summer that barely gets dark.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: May–Jul Leanest: Feb–Apr
Chena River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 500 2k 5k 7.5k
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 Chena River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Fairbanks gauge, the Chena River runs fullest May–Jul and leanest Feb–Apr. 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 May days at this gauge ran above 2,640 CFS; the March median is 262 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 340
February 290
March 262
April 327
May 2,640
June 1,885
July 1,700
August 1,910
September 1,905
October 1,150
November 585
December 440

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1948 — 78 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 64,600 CFS, in August 1967. 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 Alaska float rivers

Common questions

When is the Chena River usually at its fullest?

At the Fairbanks gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is May–Jul, with the single highest monthly median in May (about 2,640 CFS). The leanest months are usually Feb–Apr.

What is a typical summer flow on the Chena River?

The July median at this gauge is about 1,700 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 Chena River 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 77 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 15514000 (CHENA R AT FAIRBANKS AK), chosen because it best represents the Chena River through Fairbanks. Daily records here reach back to 1948.

Data: USGS gauge 15514000, approved daily records 1948–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.