Minnesota · Lanesboro, MN

Root River float season

Gauge 05385000 on the Lanesboro to Houston. Limestone bluffs and trail-town charm line the Driftless valley run that Lanesboro's outfitters have made a southeastern Minnesota institution.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Dec–Feb
Root River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 300 1k 2.5k 4k
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 Root River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Lanesboro gauge, the Root River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Dec–Feb. 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 848 CFS; the January median is 375 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 375
February 390
March 848
April 815
May 724
June 792
July 649
August 548
September 496
October 481
November 496
December 399

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1910 — 116 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 31,100 CFS, in April 1952. 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 Minnesota float rivers

Common questions

When is the Root River usually at its fullest?

At the Lanesboro gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 848 CFS). The leanest months are usually Dec–Feb.

What is a typical summer flow on the Root River?

The July median at this gauge is about 649 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Check the ribbon chart above to see how summer compares with the rest of the year here.

Is the Root 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 05385000 (ROOT RIVER NEAR HOUSTON, MN), chosen because it best represents the Lanesboro to Houston. Daily records here reach back to 1910.

Data: USGS gauge 05385000, approved daily records 1910–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.