Michigan · Mesick, MI

Manistee River float season

Gauge 04124000 on the Smithville landing through Sherman. Sandy bends and tall pine banks make this the overnighter of choice, with liveries running multi-day trips between rustic sandbar camps.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Jul–Sep
Manistee River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 150 600 1.5k 2k
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 Manistee River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Mesick gauge, the Manistee 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 1,465 CFS; the August median is 860 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 979
February 970
March 1,080
April 1,465
May 1,150
June 1,010
July 903
August 860
September 867
October 915
November 1,005
December 994

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1903 — 122 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 3,500 CFS, in March 1913. 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 Michigan float rivers

Common questions

When is the Manistee River usually at its fullest?

At the Mesick gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 1,465 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the Manistee River?

The July median at this gauge is about 903 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 Manistee 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 104 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 04124000 (MANISTEE RIVER NEAR SHERMAN, MI), chosen because it best represents the Smithville landing through Sherman. Daily records here reach back to 1903.

Data: USGS gauge 04124000, approved daily records 1903–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.