Maryland · Sharpsburg, MD

Antietam Creek float season

Gauge 01619500 on the Stone-bridge reach past Burnside Bridge near Sharpsburg. Paddlers slip beneath centuries-old stone arches, Burnside Bridge included, on a creek that floats straight through Civil War history.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Sep–Nov
Antietam Creek — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 60 250 500 750
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 Antietam Creek. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Sharpsburg gauge, the Antietam Creek runs fullest Mar–May 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 March days at this gauge ran above 386 CFS; the October median is 126 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 233
February 288
March 386
April 383
May 320
June 237
July 176
August 149
September 130
October 126
November 139
December 191

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1931 — 95 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 8,970 CFS, in September 1975. 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 Maryland float rivers

Common questions

When is the Antietam Creek usually at its fullest?

At the Sharpsburg gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 386 CFS). The leanest months are usually Sep–Nov.

What is a typical summer flow on the Antietam Creek?

The July median at this gauge is about 176 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 Antietam Creek 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 96 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 01619500 (ANTIETAM CREEK NEAR SHARPSBURG, MD), chosen because it best represents the Stone-bridge reach past Burnside Bridge near Sharpsburg. Daily records here reach back to 1931.

Data: USGS gauge 01619500, approved daily records 1931–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.