Mississippi · Brooklyn, MS

Black Creek float season

Gauge 02479130 on the Wild and Scenic section through De Soto National Forest near Brooklyn. Mississippi's only National Wild and Scenic River drifts past towering sandbars perfect for overnight camps deep in the De Soto piney woods.

canoekayak Fullest: Jan–Mar Leanest: Aug–Oct
Black Creek — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 200 750 2k 3k
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 Black Creek. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Brooklyn gauge, the Black Creek runs fullest Jan–Mar and leanest Aug–Oct. 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 February days at this gauge ran above 690 CFS; the October median is 154 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 616
February 690
March 626
April 448
May 287
June 228
July 226
August 199
September 174
October 154
November 237
December 422

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1971 — 55 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 32,200 CFS, in April 1983. 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 Mississippi float rivers

Common questions

When is the Black Creek usually at its fullest?

At the Brooklyn gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in February (about 690 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Black Creek?

The July median at this gauge is about 226 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 Black 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 53 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 02479130 (BLACK CREEK NR BROOKLYN, MS), chosen because it best represents the Wild and Scenic section through De Soto National Forest near Brooklyn. Daily records here reach back to 1971.

Data: USGS gauge 02479130, approved daily records 1971–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.