Indiana · Crawfordsville, IN

Sugar Creek float season

Gauge 03339500 on the Crawfordsville through Shades and Turkey Run state parks. Sandstone canyons, hemlock ravines, and covered bridges roll past on Indiana's most beloved canoe stream through Turkey Run country.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Aug–Oct
Sugar Creek — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 150 600 1.5k 2.5k
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 Sugar Creek. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Crawfordsville gauge, the Sugar Creek 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 March days at this gauge ran above 491 CFS; the September median is 37 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 234
February 290
March 491
April 458
May 333
June 245
July 123
August 62
September 37
October 44
November 92
December 188

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1939 — 87 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 23,900 CFS, in April 2013. 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 Sugar Creek usually at its fullest?

At the Crawfordsville gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 491 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Sugar Creek?

The July median at this gauge is about 123 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 Sugar Creek 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 87 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 03339500 (SUGAR CREEK AT CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN), chosen because it best represents the Crawfordsville through Shades and Turkey Run state parks. Daily records here reach back to 1939.

Data: USGS gauge 03339500, approved daily records 1939–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.