Georgia · Thomaston, GA
Flint River float season
Gauge 02347500 on the Sprewell Bluff and Yellow Jacket Shoals near Thomaston. One of the last big free-flowing rivers in the Southeast rolls through Pine Mountain ridges and shoal lily gardens that bloom white every May.
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 Flint River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Thomaston gauge, the Flint River runs fullest Jan–Mar 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 2,900 CFS; the September median is 532 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2,220 | |
| February | 2,740 | |
| March | 2,900 | |
| April | 2,215 | |
| May | 1,330 | |
| June | 950 | |
| July | 891 | |
| August | 740 | |
| September | 532 | |
| October | 550 | |
| November | 761 | |
| December | 1,380 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1911 — 115 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 92,000 CFS, in July 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 Georgia float rivers
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Broad River
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Chattahoochee River
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Chattahoochee River
Buford Dam tailwater through the Shoot the Hooch metro Atlanta reaches
Fullest: Mar–May
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Etowah River
Etowah River Water Trail floats ending at Canton
Fullest: Feb–Apr
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Toccoa River
Toccoa River Canoe Trail from Deep Hole to Sandy Bottoms near Dial
Fullest: Feb–Apr
Common questions
When is the Flint River usually at its fullest?
At the Thomaston gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 2,900 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.
What is a typical summer flow on the Flint River?
The July median at this gauge is about 891 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 Flint 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 105 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 02347500 (FLINT RIVER AT US 19, NEAR CARSONVILLE, GA), chosen because it best represents the Sprewell Bluff and Yellow Jacket Shoals near Thomaston. Daily records here reach back to 1911.
Data: USGS gauge 02347500, approved daily records 1911–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.