Virginia · Woodstock, VA

Shenandoah River (North Fork) float season

Gauge 01634000 on the Seven Bends, Woodstock to Strasburg. The lazy horseshoe loops of the Seven Bends give paddlers a quiet farm-valley alternative to the busier South Fork.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Aug–Oct
Shenandoah River (North Fork) — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 150 600 1.5k 2.5k
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 Shenandoah River (North Fork). Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Woodstock gauge, the Shenandoah River (North Fork) runs fullest Feb–Apr 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 700 CFS; the September median is 145 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 421
February 559
March 700
April 617
May 537
June 316
July 197
August 173
September 145
October 161
November 191
December 330

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1925 — 101 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 60,700 CFS, in September 1996. 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 Virginia float rivers

Common questions

When is the Shenandoah River (North Fork) usually at its fullest?

At the Woodstock gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 700 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Shenandoah River (North Fork)?

The July median at this gauge is about 197 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 Shenandoah River (North Fork) 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 101 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 01634000 (N F SHENANDOAH RIVER NEAR STRASBURG, VA), chosen because it best represents the Seven Bends, Woodstock to Strasburg. Daily records here reach back to 1925.

Data: USGS gauge 01634000, approved daily records 1925–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.