Massachusetts · Huntington, MA

Westfield River float season

Gauge 01181000 on the West Branch — Chesterfield Gorge corridor to Huntington. Snowmelt weekends on the Westfield host the country's oldest continuously run canoe race and a spring pilgrimage of Berkshire paddlers chasing the high water.

canoekayakraft Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Jul–Sep
Westfield River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 75 300 750 1k
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 Westfield River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Huntington gauge, the Westfield River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Jul–Sep. 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 349 CFS; the September median is 24 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 115
February 115
March 228
April 349
May 170
June 76
July 34
August 25
September 24
October 43
November 111
December 142

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1935 — 91 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 14,300 CFS, in August 2011. 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 Massachusetts float rivers

Common questions

When is the Westfield River usually at its fullest?

At the Huntington gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 349 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the Westfield River?

The July median at this gauge is about 34 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 Westfield 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 91 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 01181000 (WEST BRANCH WESTFIELD RIVER AT HUNTINGTON, MA), chosen because it best represents the West Branch — Chesterfield Gorge corridor to Huntington. Daily records here reach back to 1935.

Data: USGS gauge 01181000, approved daily records 1935–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.