Minnesota · Cannon Falls, MN

Cannon River float season

Gauge 05355200 on the Cannon Falls to Welch. The Welch Mill livery has turned this wooded bluff-country run into Minnesota's classic lazy-day tube and canoe trip.

tubingcanoekayak Fullest: Apr–Jun Leanest: Dec–Feb
Cannon River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 300 1k 2.5k 4k
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 Cannon River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Cannon Falls gauge, the Cannon River runs fullest Apr–Jun and leanest Dec–Feb. 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 953 CFS; the January median is 239 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 239
February 264
March 687
April 953
May 745
June 714
July 438
August 292
September 269
October 290
November 309
December 262

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1909 — 117 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 28,700 CFS, in April 1965. 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 Minnesota float rivers

Common questions

When is the Cannon River usually at its fullest?

At the Cannon Falls gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Apr–Jun, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 953 CFS). The leanest months are usually Dec–Feb.

What is a typical summer flow on the Cannon River?

The July median at this gauge is about 438 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 Cannon 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 79 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 05355200 (CANNON RIVER AT WELCH, MN), chosen because it best represents the Cannon Falls to Welch. Daily records here reach back to 1909.

Data: USGS gauge 05355200, approved daily records 1909–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.