Montana · Emigrant, MT

Yellowstone River float season

Gauge 06192500 on the Paradise Valley, Emigrant to Livingston. Paradise Valley floats run beneath the Absarokas on the longest undammed river in the lower 48, with trout rising the whole way.

driftboatraftkayak Fullest: May–Jul Leanest: Jan–Mar
Yellowstone River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1.5k 6k 15k 20k
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 Yellowstone River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Emigrant gauge, the Yellowstone River runs fullest May–Jul and leanest Jan–Mar. 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 June days at this gauge ran above 12,550 CFS; the February median is 1,190 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 1,200
February 1,190
March 1,280
April 1,730
May 6,450
June 12,550
July 6,830
August 3,240
September 2,230
October 1,920
November 1,635
December 1,360

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1897 — 129 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 43,000 CFS, in June 2022. 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 Montana float rivers

Common questions

When is the Yellowstone River usually at its fullest?

At the Emigrant gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is May–Jul, with the single highest monthly median in June (about 12,550 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jan–Mar.

What is a typical summer flow on the Yellowstone River?

The July median at this gauge is about 6,830 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 Yellowstone 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 101 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 06192500 (Yellowstone River near Livingston, MT), chosen because it best represents the Paradise Valley, Emigrant to Livingston. Daily records here reach back to 1897.

Data: USGS gauge 06192500, approved daily records 1897–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.