Arkansas · Glenwood, AR

Caddo River float season

Gauge 07359610 on the Caddo Gap through Glenwood to Amity. Arkansas's summer float factory: clear water, quick shoals, and outfitter buses shuttling flotillas between Caddo Gap and Amity all day long.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Aug–Oct
Caddo River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 100 400 750 1.5k
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 Caddo River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Glenwood gauge, the Caddo River 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 March days at this gauge ran above 230 CFS; the September median is 49 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 172
February 208
March 230
April 190
May 174
June 112
July 61
August 50
September 49
October 50
November 95
December 164

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1989 — 37 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 18,100 CFS, in December 1994. 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 Arkansas float rivers

Common questions

When is the Caddo River usually at its fullest?

At the Glenwood gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 230 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Caddo River?

The July median at this gauge is about 61 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Late summer is this river's lean season, so expect readings to drift down as the season goes on.

Is the Caddo 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 37 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 07359610 (Caddo River near Caddo Gap, AR), chosen because it best represents the Caddo Gap through Glenwood to Amity. Daily records here reach back to 1989.

Data: USGS gauge 07359610, approved daily records 1989–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.