Arkansas · Eureka Springs, AR

Kings River float season

Gauge 07050500 on the Trigger Gap toward the Highway 62 bridge near Berryville. A quiet smallmouth stream winding under Ozark bluffs, prized by paddlers who want eagles and empty gravel bars instead of crowds.

canoekayak Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Aug–Oct
Kings River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 250 1k 2.5k 4k
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 Kings River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Eureka Springs gauge, the Kings River runs fullest Mar–May 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 April days at this gauge ran above 620 CFS; the September median is 34 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 265
February 400
March 564
April 620
May 600
June 180
July 77
August 43
September 34
October 47
November 96
December 214

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1939 — 87 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 41,000 CFS, in April 2011. 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 Kings River usually at its fullest?

At the Eureka Springs gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 620 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Kings River?

The July median at this gauge is about 77 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 Kings 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 70 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 07050500 (Kings River near Berryville, AR), chosen because it best represents the Trigger Gap toward the Highway 62 bridge near Berryville. Daily records here reach back to 1939.

Data: USGS gauge 07050500, approved daily records 1939–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.