Vermont · Stockbridge, VT

White River float season

Gauge 01144000 on the Stockbridge through Bethel and Royalton. Vermont's longest undammed river is one long swimming hole in July, with tubers and canoers ferrying between ledgy pools and farm-valley bends.

tubingcanoekayak Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Jul–Sep
White River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 600 2k 5k 7.5k
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 White River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Stockbridge gauge, the White 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 3,065 CFS; the September median is 240 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 680
February 600
March 1,140
April 3,065
May 1,500
June 698
July 377
August 261
September 240
October 395
November 790
December 818

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1915 — 110 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 33,100 CFS, in August 2011. 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 Vermont float rivers

Common questions

When is the White River usually at its fullest?

At the Stockbridge gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 3,065 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the White River?

The July median at this gauge is about 377 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 White 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 109 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 01144000 (WHITE RIVER AT WEST HARTFORD, VT), chosen because it best represents the Stockbridge through Bethel and Royalton. Daily records here reach back to 1915.

Data: USGS gauge 01144000, approved daily records 1915–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.