Texas · Big Bend National Park, TX
Rio Grande float season
Gauge 08375300 on the Hot Springs and Boquillas Canyon through Rio Grande Village, Big Bend National Park. Desert river-running at its most theatrical, drifting beneath 1,200-foot canyon walls with hot springs and Boquillas tacos en route.
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 Rio Grande. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Big Bend National Park gauge, the Rio Grande runs fullest Aug–Oct and leanest Mar–May. 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 September days at this gauge ran above 818 CFS; the May median is 65 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 208 | |
| February | 158 | |
| March | 111 | |
| April | 72 | |
| May | 65 | |
| June | 126 | |
| July | 295 | |
| August | 368 | |
| September | 818 | |
| October | 675 | |
| November | 301 | |
| December | 263 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 2007 — 19 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 48,800 CFS, in September 2008. 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
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Blanco River
Wimberley through the cypress-lined bends toward Five Mile Dam near Kyle
Fullest: Mar–May
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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 Rio Grande usually at its fullest?
At the Big Bend National Park gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Aug–Oct, with the single highest monthly median in September (about 818 CFS). The leanest months are usually Mar–May.
What is a typical summer flow on the Rio Grande?
The July median at this gauge is about 295 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 Rio Grande 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 19 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 08375300 (Rio Grande at Rio Grande Village, Big Bnd NP, TX), chosen because it best represents the Hot Springs and Boquillas Canyon through Rio Grande Village, Big Bend National Park. Daily records here reach back to 2007.
Data: USGS gauge 08375300, approved daily records 2007–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.