Colorado · Steamboat Springs, CO

Yampa River float season

Gauge 09239500 on the Steamboat Springs town stretch. Steamboat's backyard tubing scene floats from the library to the hot springs on one of the last big undammed rivers in the West.

tubingsupkayak Fullest: Apr–Jun Leanest: Dec–Feb
Yampa 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 Yampa River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Steamboat Springs gauge, the Yampa River runs fullest Apr–Jun 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 1,700 CFS; the September median is 97 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 97
February 99
March 140
April 534
May 1,640
June 1,700
July 195
August 131
September 97
October 115
November 125
December 100

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1910 — 116 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 5,870 CFS, in June 1921. 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 Yampa River usually at its fullest?

At the Steamboat Springs gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Apr–Jun, with the single highest monthly median in June (about 1,700 CFS). The leanest months are usually Dec–Feb.

What is a typical summer flow on the Yampa River?

The July median at this gauge is about 195 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 Yampa 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 116 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 09239500 (YAMPA RIVER AT STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO), chosen because it best represents the Steamboat Springs town stretch. Daily records here reach back to 1910.

Data: USGS gauge 09239500, approved daily records 1910–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.