New Hampshire · North Conway, NH

Saco River float season

Gauge 01064500 on the North Conway to Fryeburg, ME — the sandbar camping miles. The Saco's clear water and endless sandbars host the Northeast's great canoe-camping party float, drifting from the White Mountains into Maine one beach at a time.

canoetubingkayaksup Fullest: Apr–Jun Leanest: Jul–Sep
Saco River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 400 1.5k 4k 6k
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 Saco River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the North Conway gauge, the Saco River runs fullest Apr–Jun 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 2,035 CFS; the September median is 228 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 400
February 352
March 550
April 2,035
May 1,690
June 613
July 323
August 244
September 228
October 341
November 663
December 549

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1904 — 122 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 33,900 CFS, in March 1936. 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 New Hampshire float rivers

Common questions

When is the Saco River usually at its fullest?

At the North Conway gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Apr–Jun, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 2,035 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the Saco River?

The July median at this gauge is about 323 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 Saco 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 103 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 01064500 (Saco River near Conway, NH), chosen because it best represents the North Conway to Fryeburg, ME — the sandbar camping miles. Daily records here reach back to 1904.

Data: USGS gauge 01064500, approved daily records 1904–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.