Minnesota · Sandstone, MN

Kettle River float season

Gauge 05336700 on the Banning State Park gorge below Sandstone. Minnesota's marquee whitewater, where spring flows funnel boaters through a sandstone gorge of named drops in Banning State Park.

kayakraft Fullest: Apr–Jun Leanest: Dec–Feb
Kettle River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 400 1.5k 4k 6k
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 Kettle River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Sandstone gauge, the Kettle 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 1,655 CFS; the February median is 157 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 163
February 157
March 231
April 1,655
May 985
June 525
July 377
August 224
September 221
October 312
November 382
December 230

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1968 — 58 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 22,700 CFS, in June 2012. 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 Kettle River usually at its fullest?

At the Sandstone gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Apr–Jun, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 1,655 CFS). The leanest months are usually Dec–Feb.

What is a typical summer flow on the Kettle River?

The July median at this gauge is about 377 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 Kettle 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 58 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 05336700 (KETTLE RIVER BELOW SANDSTONE, MN), chosen because it best represents the Banning State Park gorge below Sandstone. Daily records here reach back to 1968.

Data: USGS gauge 05336700, approved daily records 1968–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.