Alabama · Double Springs, AL

Sipsey Fork float season

Gauge 02450250 on the Sipsey Wilderness canyon reaches near Grayson. Paddling the Land of a Thousand Waterfalls means drifting a sandstone canyon in Alabama's only National Wild and Scenic River as falls spill in from both rims.

kayakcanoe Fullest: Jan–Mar Leanest: Aug–Oct
Sipsey Fork — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 60 250 600 1k
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 Sipsey Fork. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Double Springs gauge, the Sipsey Fork runs fullest Jan–Mar 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 192 CFS; the September median is 7.8 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 157
February 166
March 192
April 134
May 60
June 24
July 15
August 10
September 7.8
October 9.8
November 27
December 88

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1967 — 59 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 15,200 CFS, in March 1973. 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 Alabama float rivers

Common questions

When is the Sipsey Fork usually at its fullest?

At the Double Springs gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 192 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Sipsey Fork?

The July median at this gauge is about 15 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 Sipsey 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 59 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 02450250 (SIPSEY FORK NEAR GRAYSON AL), chosen because it best represents the Sipsey Wilderness canyon reaches near Grayson. Daily records here reach back to 1967.

Data: USGS gauge 02450250, approved daily records 1967–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.