Colorado · Kremmling, CO

Colorado River float season

Gauge 09058000 on the Pumphouse to State Bridge (Upper Colorado). Pumphouse to State Bridge is Colorado's classic summer overnighter — red canyon walls, riffly whitewater, riverside hot springs, and gold-medal trout water.

raftkayaksupdriftboat Fullest: May–Jul Leanest: Dec–Feb
Colorado River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 400 1.5k 3k 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 Colorado River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Kremmling gauge, the Colorado River runs fullest May–Jul and leanest Dec–Feb. 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 1,670 CFS; the January median is 484 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 484
February 484
March 532
April 832
May 1,390
June 1,670
July 1,080
August 1,020
September 894
October 760
November 573
December 497

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1962 — 64 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 12,700 CFS, in May 1984. 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 Colorado float rivers

Common questions

When is the Colorado River usually at its fullest?

At the Kremmling gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is May–Jul, with the single highest monthly median in June (about 1,670 CFS). The leanest months are usually Dec–Feb.

What is a typical summer flow on the Colorado River?

The July median at this gauge is about 1,080 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 Colorado 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 64 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 09058000 (COLORADO RIVER NEAR KREMMLING, CO), chosen because it best represents the Pumphouse to State Bridge (Upper Colorado). Daily records here reach back to 1962.

Data: USGS gauge 09058000, approved daily records 1962–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.