California · Happy Camp, CA
Klamath River float season
Gauge 11520500 on the Mid-Klamath canyon around Seiad Valley and Happy Camp. Warm-water wave trains roll through salmon country on a river running newly free after the largest dam removal in US history.
Right now at this gauge
loading CFS
Checking the live gauge…
Well above typical for this date
Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Klamath River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Happy Camp gauge, the Klamath River runs fullest Feb–Apr and leanest Jul–Sep. 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 5,090 CFS; the July median is 1,220 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 3,610 | |
| February | 4,200 | |
| March | 4,680 | |
| April | 5,090 | |
| May | 4,190 | |
| June | 2,345 | |
| July | 1,220 | |
| August | 1,230 | |
| September | 1,470 | |
| October | 1,680 | |
| November | 2,165 | |
| December | 3,000 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1913 — 113 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 115,000 CFS, in December 1965. 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 California float rivers
-
American River
Lower American, Sunrise Avenue to River Bend through Sacramento
Fullest: May–Jul
-
Cache Creek
Cache Creek canyon from Rumsey through Camp Haswell
Fullest: May–Jul
-
Merced River
Yosemite Valley bridges and the El Portal canyon below Redbud
Fullest: Apr–Jun
-
North Fork American River
Chamberlain Falls canyon above Lake Clementine
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Russian River
Forestville to Guerneville past Johnson's Beach
Fullest: Jan–Mar
-
Sacramento River
Red Bluff through the valley oaks toward Woodson Bridge and Chico
Fullest: Jun–Aug
Common questions
When is the Klamath River usually at its fullest?
At the Happy Camp gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 5,090 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.
What is a typical summer flow on the Klamath River?
The July median at this gauge is about 1,220 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 Klamath 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 87 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 11520500 (KLAMATH R NR SEIAD VALLEY CA), chosen because it best represents the Mid-Klamath canyon around Seiad Valley and Happy Camp. Daily records here reach back to 1913.
Data: USGS gauge 11520500, approved daily records 1913–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.