Vermont · Richmond, VT

Winooski River float season

Gauge 04290500 on the Richmond through the Intervale toward Essex Junction. Burlington locals float the lower Winooski's slow meanders past farm fields and Camel's Hump views, a paddle that ends practically in the city's backyard.

canoekayaksuptubing Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Jul–Sep
Winooski River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 750 2.5k 6k 10k
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 Winooski River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Richmond gauge, the Winooski 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 4,300 CFS; the September median is 463 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 1,060
February 965
March 1,700
April 4,300
May 2,180
June 1,045
July 612
August 517
September 463
October 741
November 1,245
December 1,240

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1929 — 97 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 41,600 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 Vermont float rivers

Common questions

When is the Winooski River usually at its fullest?

At the Richmond gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 4,300 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the Winooski River?

The July median at this gauge is about 612 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 Winooski 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 98 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 04290500 (WINOOSKI RIVER NEAR ESSEX JUNCTION, VT), chosen because it best represents the Richmond through the Intervale toward Essex Junction. Daily records here reach back to 1929.

Data: USGS gauge 04290500, approved daily records 1929–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.