Washington · Fall City, WA

Snoqualmie River float season

Gauge 12144500 on the Below Snoqualmie Falls to Fall City. The Fall City float — a slow gravel-bottomed drift below Snoqualmie Falls that half of Seattle seems to join on hot Saturdays.

tubingsupkayak Fullest: Apr–Jun Leanest: Aug–Oct
Snoqualmie River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 600 2.5k 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 Snoqualmie River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Fall City gauge, the Snoqualmie River runs fullest Apr–Jun 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 May days at this gauge ran above 3,540 CFS; the August median is 580 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 2,440
February 2,020
March 2,130
April 2,585
May 3,540
June 3,105
July 1,270
August 580
September 604
October 1,240
November 2,570
December 2,430

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1959 — 66 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 54,700 CFS, in November 1991. 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 Washington float rivers

Common questions

When is the Snoqualmie River usually at its fullest?

At the Fall City gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Apr–Jun, with the single highest monthly median in May (about 3,540 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Snoqualmie River?

The July median at this gauge is about 1,270 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 Snoqualmie 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 67 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 12144500 (SNOQUALMIE RIVER NEAR SNOQUALMIE, WA), chosen because it best represents the Below Snoqualmie Falls to Fall City. Daily records here reach back to 1959.

Data: USGS gauge 12144500, approved daily records 1959–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.