New York · Watertown, NY
Black River float season
Gauge 04260500 on the Watertown gorge — Route 3 corridor rafting runs. Warm, dam-fed water and a limestone gorge minutes from downtown Watertown give this river a long season and a devoted raft and surf-kayak following.
Right now at this gauge
loading CFS
Checking the live gauge…
Well above typical for this date
Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Black River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Watertown gauge, the Black 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 8,925 CFS; the August median is 1,500 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 3,360 | |
| February | 2,930 | |
| March | 4,690 | |
| April | 8,925 | |
| May | 4,160 | |
| June | 2,215 | |
| July | 1,680 | |
| August | 1,500 | |
| September | 1,725 | |
| October | 2,420 | |
| November | 3,850 | |
| December | 3,820 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1920 — 106 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 52,000 CFS, in January 1998. 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 York float rivers
-
Delaware River
Upper Delaware Scenic river from Callicoon toward Narrowsburg
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Esopus Creek
Phoenicia — Shandaken portal releases down to Boiceville
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Hudson River
Hudson Gorge — Indian River put-in through the gorge to North River
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Sacandaga River
Stewarts Bridge Dam tailrace to the Hudson confluence at Lake Luzerne
Fullest: Dec–Feb
Common questions
When is the Black River usually at its fullest?
At the Watertown gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 8,925 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.
What is a typical summer flow on the Black River?
The July median at this gauge is about 1,680 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 Black 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 106 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 04260500 (BLACK RIVER AT WATERTOWN NY), chosen because it best represents the Watertown gorge — Route 3 corridor rafting runs. Daily records here reach back to 1920.
Data: USGS gauge 04260500, approved daily records 1920–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.