Arizona · Page, AZ

Colorado River float season

Gauge 09380000 on the Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry backhaul float. Boaters get motored fifteen miles upriver and drift emerald, glass-clear water back beneath thousand-foot sandstone at Horseshoe Bend.

kayaksupraftdriftboat Fullest: May–Jul Leanest: Oct–Dec
Colorado River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 5k 20k 50k 75k
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 Colorado River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Page gauge, the Colorado River runs fullest May–Jul and leanest Oct–Dec. 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 June days at this gauge ran above 17,350 CFS; the October median is 8,430 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 10,200
February 9,570
March 9,770
April 11,650
May 16,200
June 17,350
July 15,000
August 13,400
September 9,770
October 8,430
November 8,555
December 9,320

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1922 — 104 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 124,000 CFS, in June 1957. 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 Arizona float rivers

Common questions

When is the Colorado River usually at its fullest?

At the Page gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is May–Jul, with the single highest monthly median in June (about 17,350 CFS). The leanest months are usually Oct–Dec.

What is a typical summer flow on the Colorado River?

The July median at this gauge is about 15,000 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 Colorado 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 105 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 09380000 (COLORADO RIVER AT LEES FERRY, AZ), chosen because it best represents the Glen Canyon Dam to Lees Ferry backhaul float. Daily records here reach back to 1922.

Data: USGS gauge 09380000, approved daily records 1922–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.