Arizona · Clarkdale, AZ

Verde River float season

Gauge 09504000 on the Verde River Greenway, TAPCO to Tuzigoot near Clarkdale and Cottonwood. A year-round green ribbon through Verde Valley wine country, paddled under one of Arizona's last great cottonwood gallery forests.

kayakcanoesup Fullest: Jan–Mar Leanest: May–Jul
Verde River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 75 300 750 1k
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 Verde River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Clarkdale gauge, the Verde River runs fullest Jan–Mar and leanest May–Jul. The swing is small by river standards — flows hold fairly steady through the seasons, which usually points to springs or dam releases doing the work. Half of all past March days at this gauge ran above 96 CFS; the June median is 72 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 83
February 85
March 96
April 81
May 75
June 72
July 75
August 78
September 76
October 76
November 80
December 81

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1915 — 111 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 30,000 CFS, in February 1993. 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 Verde River usually at its fullest?

At the Clarkdale gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 96 CFS). The leanest months are usually May–Jul. This river holds unusually steady across the year, so the swing between those extremes is small.

What is a typical summer flow on the Verde River?

The July median at this gauge is about 75 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 Verde 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 67 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 09504000 (VERDE RIVER NEAR CLARKDALE, AZ), chosen because it best represents the Verde River Greenway, TAPCO to Tuzigoot near Clarkdale and Cottonwood. Daily records here reach back to 1915.

Data: USGS gauge 09504000, approved daily records 1915–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.