Arkansas · Ozark, AR

Mulberry River float season

Gauge 07252000 on the Turner Bend to Mill Creek along the Pig Trail. An Ozark National Forest classic that comes alive with spring rain, throwing wave trains past Turner Bend's legendary outfitter store.

canoekayak Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Aug–Oct
Mulberry River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 250 1k 2k 3k
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 Mulberry River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Ozark gauge, the Mulberry River runs fullest Mar–May 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 April days at this gauge ran above 709 CFS; the August median is 12 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 306
February 485
March 690
April 709
May 547
June 172
July 36
August 12
September 12
October 18
November 77
December 267

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1938 — 88 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 40,900 CFS, in May 1990. 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 Arkansas float rivers

Common questions

When is the Mulberry River usually at its fullest?

At the Ozark gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 709 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Mulberry River?

The July median at this gauge is about 36 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 Mulberry 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 85 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 07252000 (Mulberry River near Mulberry, AR), chosen because it best represents the Turner Bend to Mill Creek along the Pig Trail. Daily records here reach back to 1938.

Data: USGS gauge 07252000, approved daily records 1938–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.