Indiana · Milltown, IN

Blue River float season

Gauge 03303000 on the Milltown to White Cloud cave country. Spring-fed jade-green water winds past caves and karst bluffs on the first river protected under Indiana's natural-and-scenic system.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Aug–Oct
Blue River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 200 1k 2k 3k
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 Blue River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Milltown gauge, the Blue River runs fullest Feb–Apr 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 840 CFS; the September median is 57 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 517
February 670
March 840
April 728
May 492
June 257
July 160
August 92
September 57
October 58
November 135
December 357

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1932 — 93 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 28,700 CFS, in March 2008. 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 Indiana float rivers

Common questions

When is the Blue River usually at its fullest?

At the Milltown gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 840 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Blue River?

The July median at this gauge is about 160 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 Blue 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 94 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 03303000 (BLUE RIVER NEAR WHITE CLOUD, IN), chosen because it best represents the Milltown to White Cloud cave country. Daily records here reach back to 1932.

Data: USGS gauge 03303000, approved daily records 1932–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.