Florida · Dunnellon, FL
Rainbow River float season
Gauge 02313100 on the KP Hole County Park to Dunnellon. Glass-clear 72-degree spring water over waving eelgrass turns a four-hour tube drift into a snorkel session you happen to float through.
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 Rainbow River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Dunnellon gauge, the Rainbow River runs fullest Sep–Nov and leanest Apr–Jun. 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 October days at this gauge ran above 712 CFS; the May median is 625 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 656 | |
| February | 659 | |
| March | 649 | |
| April | 635 | |
| May | 625 | |
| June | 626 | |
| July | 641 | |
| August | 665 | |
| September | 702 | |
| October | 712 | |
| November | 693 | |
| December | 673 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1965 — 61 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 1,060 CFS, in September 1988. 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 Florida float rivers
-
Blackwater River
Kennedy Bridge through Blackwater River State Park toward Milton
Fullest: Jan–Mar
-
Ichetucknee River
Ichetucknee Springs State Park north launch to US 27
Fullest: Aug–Oct
-
Santa Fe River
High Springs (US 27) past Ginnie, Blue, and Rum Island springs to US 129
Fullest: Aug–Oct
-
Suwannee River
Upper Suwannee below Big Shoals through White Springs
Fullest: Feb–Apr
-
Withlacoochee River (South)
Silver Lake through Withlacoochee State Forest to Nobleton
Fullest: Aug–Oct
Common questions
When is the Rainbow River usually at its fullest?
At the Dunnellon gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Sep–Nov, with the single highest monthly median in October (about 712 CFS). The leanest months are usually Apr–Jun. This river holds unusually steady across the year, so the swing between those extremes is small.
What is a typical summer flow on the Rainbow River?
The July median at this gauge is about 641 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 Rainbow 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 61 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 02313100 (RAINBOW RIVER AT DUNNELLON, FL), chosen because it best represents the KP Hole County Park to Dunnellon. Daily records here reach back to 1965.
Data: USGS gauge 02313100, approved daily records 1965–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.