Florida · High Springs, FL
Santa Fe River float season
Gauge 02322500 on the High Springs (US 27) past Ginnie, Blue, and Rum Island springs to US 129. A conveyor belt of sapphire springs pours into the tea-dark river, so floaters drift bank to bank hopping between swimming holes all afternoon.
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 Santa Fe River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the High Springs gauge, the Santa Fe River runs fullest Aug–Oct and leanest Nov–Jan. 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 September days at this gauge ran above 1,515 CFS; the June median is 1,080 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,140 | |
| February | 1,300 | |
| March | 1,280 | |
| April | 1,285 | |
| May | 1,130 | |
| June | 1,080 | |
| July | 1,190 | |
| August | 1,480 | |
| September | 1,515 | |
| October | 1,320 | |
| November | 1,155 | |
| December | 1,090 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1928 — 97 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 16,900 CFS, in September 1964. 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
-
Rainbow River
KP Hole County Park to Dunnellon
Fullest: Sep–Nov
-
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 Santa Fe River usually at its fullest?
At the High Springs gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Aug–Oct, with the single highest monthly median in September (about 1,515 CFS). The leanest months are usually Nov–Jan.
What is a typical summer flow on the Santa Fe River?
The July median at this gauge is about 1,190 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 Santa Fe 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 96 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 02322500 (SANTA FE RIVER NEAR FORT WHITE, FLA.), chosen because it best represents the High Springs (US 27) past Ginnie, Blue, and Rum Island springs to US 129. Daily records here reach back to 1928.
Data: USGS gauge 02322500, approved daily records 1928–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.