Idaho · Kingston, ID

North Fork Coeur d'Alene River float season

Gauge 12413000 on the Enaville to Cataldo lazy water. Lazy emerald water over bright cobbles makes this North Idaho's tubing and paddling escape, with camp-and-float weekends up the whole valley.

tubingkayakcanoesup Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Aug–Oct
North Fork Coeur d'Alene River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 750 3k 6k 10k
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 North Fork Coeur d'Alene River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Kingston gauge, the North Fork Coeur d'Alene 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 4,625 CFS; the September median is 261 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 939
February 1,300
March 1,950
April 4,625
May 4,470
June 1,475
July 546
August 316
September 261
October 267
November 540
December 786

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1911 — 115 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 50,000 CFS, in January 1974. 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 Idaho float rivers

Common questions

When is the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River usually at its fullest?

At the Kingston gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 4,625 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River?

The July median at this gauge is about 546 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 North Fork Coeur d'Alene 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 88 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 12413000 (NF COEUR D ALENE RIVER AT ENAVILLE ID), chosen because it best represents the Enaville to Cataldo lazy water. Daily records here reach back to 1911.

Data: USGS gauge 12413000, 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.