Florida · Milton, FL

Blackwater River float season

Gauge 02370000 on the Kennedy Bridge through Blackwater River State Park toward Milton. Dark tannin water braided around huge sugar-white sandbars gives the self-styled canoe capital of Florida a beach at every bend for swimming and camping.

tubingcanoekayak Fullest: Jan–Mar Leanest: Sep–Nov
Blackwater River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 100 400 750 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 Blackwater River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Milton gauge, the Blackwater River runs fullest Jan–Mar and leanest Sep–Nov. 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 February days at this gauge ran above 348 CFS; the October median is 127 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 311
February 348
March 324
April 253
May 174
June 168
July 172
August 176
September 146
October 127
November 131
December 216

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1950 — 76 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 23,900 CFS, in September 1998. 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 Florida float rivers

Common questions

When is the Blackwater River usually at its fullest?

At the Milton gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in February (about 348 CFS). The leanest months are usually Sep–Nov.

What is a typical summer flow on the Blackwater River?

The July median at this gauge is about 172 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 Blackwater 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 72 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 02370000 (BLACKWATER RIVER NR BAKER, FLA.), chosen because it best represents the Kennedy Bridge through Blackwater River State Park toward Milton. Daily records here reach back to 1950.

Data: USGS gauge 02370000, approved daily records 1950–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.