Texas · Bandera, TX
Medina River float season
Gauge 08178880 on the Bandera City Park downstream through the cypress canopy. A narrow, cypress-canopied ribbon through cowboy-country Bandera whose little chutes and rope swings reward a wet spring.
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 Medina River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Bandera gauge, the Medina River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Aug–Oct. 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 60 CFS; the August median is 23 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 45 | |
| February | 52 | |
| March | 60 | |
| April | 58 | |
| May | 55 | |
| June | 48 | |
| July | 41 | |
| August | 23 | |
| September | 28 | |
| October | 30 | |
| November | 37 | |
| December | 41 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1983 — 43 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 104,000 CFS, in July 2002. 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 Texas float rivers
-
Blanco River
Wimberley through the cypress-lined bends toward Five Mile Dam near Kyle
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Brazos River
Below Morris Sheppard Dam at Possum Kingdom down to the Highway 180 bridge
Fullest: Jun–Aug
-
Colorado River
El Camino Real paddling trail from Bastrop toward Smithville
Fullest: May–Jul
-
Comal River
Prince Solms Park through the Tube Chute to the Guadalupe confluence
Fullest: Jan–Mar
-
Frio River
Garner State Park through the Concan crossings
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Guadalupe River
Canyon Dam tailrace from Sattler through the Horseshoe Loop toward New Braunfels
Fullest: Apr–Jun
Common questions
When is the Medina River usually at its fullest?
At the Bandera gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 60 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.
What is a typical summer flow on the Medina River?
The July median at this gauge is about 41 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 Medina 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 43 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 08178880 (Medina Rv at Bandera, TX), chosen because it best represents the Bandera City Park downstream through the cypress canopy. Daily records here reach back to 1983.
Data: USGS gauge 08178880, approved daily records 1983–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.