Wyoming · Alpine, WY

Snake River float season

Gauge 13022500 on the Snake River Canyon, West Table to Sheep Gulch. The canyon's Big Kahuna and Lunch Counter waves are Jackson Hole's after-work surf spot and its most-photographed raft drops.

raftkayak Fullest: May–Jul Leanest: Jan–Mar
Snake River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1.5k 6k 15k 20k
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 Snake River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Alpine gauge, the Snake River runs fullest May–Jul and leanest Jan–Mar. 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 June days at this gauge ran above 11,850 CFS; the January median is 1,490 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 1,490
February 1,490
March 1,540
April 2,750
May 7,710
June 11,850
July 7,240
August 4,950
September 3,985
October 2,010
November 1,740
December 1,600

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1937 — 89 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 38,100 CFS, in June 1997. 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 Wyoming float rivers

Common questions

When is the Snake River usually at its fullest?

At the Alpine gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is May–Jul, with the single highest monthly median in June (about 11,850 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jan–Mar.

What is a typical summer flow on the Snake River?

The July median at this gauge is about 7,240 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 Snake 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 74 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 13022500 (SNAKE RIVER ABOVE RESERVOIR, NEAR ALPINE, WY), chosen because it best represents the Snake River Canyon, West Table to Sheep Gulch. Daily records here reach back to 1937.

Data: USGS gauge 13022500, approved daily records 1937–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.