Florida · White Springs, FL

Suwannee River float season

Gauge 02315500 on the Upper Suwannee below Big Shoals through White Springs. Tannin-black water sliding between white limestone bluffs makes this the storied first leg of the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail, with river camps spaced a paddling day apart.

canoekayak Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Oct–Dec
Suwannee River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 600 2.5k 5k 7.5k
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 Suwannee River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the White Springs gauge, the Suwannee River runs fullest Feb–Apr and leanest Oct–Dec. 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 2,080 CFS; the November median is 254 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 715
February 1,590
March 2,080
April 1,350
May 449
June 272
July 716
August 940
September 898
October 460
November 254
December 320

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1906 — 120 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 38,000 CFS, in April 1973. 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 Suwannee River usually at its fullest?

At the White Springs gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 2,080 CFS). The leanest months are usually Oct–Dec.

What is a typical summer flow on the Suwannee River?

The July median at this gauge is about 716 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 Suwannee 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 102 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 02315500 (SUWANNEE RIVER AT WHITE SPRINGS, FLA.), chosen because it best represents the Upper Suwannee below Big Shoals through White Springs. Daily records here reach back to 1906.

Data: USGS gauge 02315500, approved daily records 1906–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.