Minnesota · Nimrod, MN

Crow Wing River float season

Gauge 05244000 on the Nimrod-area water trail. A sandy-bottomed pine-country river with campsite-to-campsite spacing that makes it Minnesota's favorite first canoe-camping trip.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Apr–Jun Leanest: Dec–Feb
Crow Wing River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 100 400 750 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 Crow Wing River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Nimrod gauge, the Crow Wing 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 718 CFS; the February median is 297 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 300
February 297
March 360
April 718
May 634
June 499
July 410
August 332
September 347
October 391
November 388
December 340

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1910 — 116 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 3,580 CFS, in October 1974. 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 Crow Wing River usually at its fullest?

At the Nimrod gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Apr–Jun, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 718 CFS). The leanest months are usually Dec–Feb.

What is a typical summer flow on the Crow Wing River?

The July median at this gauge is about 410 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 Crow Wing 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 89 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 05244000 (CROW WING RIVER AT NIMROD, MN), chosen because it best represents the Nimrod-area water trail. Daily records here reach back to 1910.

Data: USGS gauge 05244000, approved daily records 1910–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.