Georgia · Danielsville, GA
Broad River float season
Gauge 02191300 on the Broad River water trail near Danielsville to Carlton. Athens-area paddlers flock to this undammed Piedmont river for lazy shoal-hopping floats and sandbar lunches served by long-running canoe outposts.
Right now at this gauge
loading CFS
Checking the live gauge…
Well above typical for this date
Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Broad River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Danielsville gauge, the Broad River runs fullest Feb–Apr 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 February days at this gauge ran above 1,130 CFS; the September median is 450 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 960 | |
| February | 1,130 | |
| March | 1,080 | |
| April | 1,005 | |
| May | 801 | |
| June | 651 | |
| July | 562 | |
| August | 520 | |
| September | 450 | |
| October | 502 | |
| November | 545 | |
| December | 765 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1897 — 129 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 47,200 CFS, in August 1908. 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 Georgia float rivers
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Chattahoochee River
Tube run through downtown Helen
Fullest: Feb–Apr
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Chattahoochee River
Buford Dam tailwater through the Shoot the Hooch metro Atlanta reaches
Fullest: Mar–May
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Etowah River
Etowah River Water Trail floats ending at Canton
Fullest: Feb–Apr
-
Flint River
Sprewell Bluff and Yellow Jacket Shoals near Thomaston
Fullest: Jan–Mar
-
Toccoa River
Toccoa River Canoe Trail from Deep Hole to Sandy Bottoms near Dial
Fullest: Feb–Apr
Common questions
When is the Broad River usually at its fullest?
At the Danielsville gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in February (about 1,130 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.
What is a typical summer flow on the Broad River?
The July median at this gauge is about 562 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 Broad 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 44 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 02191300 (BROAD RIVER ABOVE CARLTON, GA), chosen because it best represents the Broad River water trail near Danielsville to Carlton. Daily records here reach back to 1897.
Data: USGS gauge 02191300, approved daily records 1897–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.