Arizona · Camp Verde, AZ

Verde River float season

Gauge 09506000 on the Camp Verde and Beasley Flat into the Wild & Scenic lower canyon. Arizona's first Wild & Scenic river drops away from the roads here, drawing paddlers on multi-day trips toward Childs past hot springs and heron rookeries.

kayakcanoeraft Fullest: Jan–Mar Leanest: May–Jul
Verde River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 250 1k 2.5k 4k
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 Verde River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Camp Verde gauge, the Verde River runs fullest Jan–Mar and leanest May–Jul. 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 508 CFS; the June median is 65 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 222
February 251
March 508
April 160
May 91
June 65
July 76
August 124
September 120
October 132
November 174
December 206

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1935 — 91 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 63,400 CFS, in January 1993. 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 Arizona float rivers

Common questions

When is the Verde River usually at its fullest?

At the Camp Verde gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 508 CFS). The leanest months are usually May–Jul.

What is a typical summer flow on the Verde River?

The July median at this gauge is about 76 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 Verde 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 48 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 09506000 (VERDE RIVER NEAR CAMP VERDE, AZ), chosen because it best represents the Camp Verde and Beasley Flat into the Wild & Scenic lower canyon. Daily records here reach back to 1935.

Data: USGS gauge 09506000, approved daily records 1935–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.