Georgia · Blue Ridge, GA

Toccoa River float season

Gauge 03558000 on the Toccoa River Canoe Trail from Deep Hole to Sandy Bottoms near Dial. A cold, clear Blue Ridge trout river winds under the 260-foot Toccoa swinging bridge through some of the prettiest national-forest paddling in Georgia.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Sep–Nov
Toccoa River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 100 400 1k 1.5k
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 Toccoa River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Blue Ridge gauge, the Toccoa River runs fullest Feb–Apr 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 April days at this gauge ran above 672 CFS; the October median is 210 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 516
February 625
March 670
April 672
May 550
June 413
July 328
August 278
September 223
October 210
November 251
December 354

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1913 — 113 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 7,990 CFS, in August 1967. 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

Common questions

When is the Toccoa River usually at its fullest?

At the Blue Ridge gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 672 CFS). The leanest months are usually Sep–Nov.

What is a typical summer flow on the Toccoa River?

The July median at this gauge is about 328 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 Toccoa 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 93 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 03558000 (TOCCOA RIVER NEAR DIAL, GA), chosen because it best represents the Toccoa River Canoe Trail from Deep Hole to Sandy Bottoms near Dial. Daily records here reach back to 1913.

Data: USGS gauge 03558000, approved daily records 1913–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.