Maine · The Forks, ME

Kennebec River float season

Gauge 01042500 on the The Forks — Harris Station releases through Kennebec Gorge. Scheduled turbine releases out of Harris Station power Maine's flagship big-water rafting day, ending in the rolling swimming-pool waves above The Forks.

raftkayak Fullest: May–Jul Leanest: Oct–Dec
Kennebec River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 750 3k 6k 10k
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 Kennebec River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the The Forks gauge, the Kennebec River runs fullest May–Jul 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 May days at this gauge ran above 3,610 CFS; the November median is 1,540 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 2,500
February 2,700
March 2,300
April 2,195
May 3,610
June 2,785
July 2,490
August 2,300
September 2,155
October 1,790
November 1,540
December 1,810

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1904 — 122 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 28,200 CFS, in June 1984. 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.

Common questions

When is the Kennebec River usually at its fullest?

At the The Forks gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is May–Jul, with the single highest monthly median in May (about 3,610 CFS). The leanest months are usually Oct–Dec.

What is a typical summer flow on the Kennebec River?

The July median at this gauge is about 2,490 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 Kennebec 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 123 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 01042500 (Kennebec River at The Forks, Maine), chosen because it best represents the The Forks — Harris Station releases through Kennebec Gorge. Daily records here reach back to 1904.

Data: USGS gauge 01042500, approved daily records 1904–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.