Missouri · Lebanon, MO
Niangua River float season
Gauge 06923250 on the Bennett Spring State Park corridor near Lebanon. Bennett Spring pumps trout water into a lazy valley run that makes this the Lebanon area's signature day float, with liveries lining the banks.
Right now at this gauge
loading CFS
Checking the live gauge…
Well above typical for this date
Live reading from the USGS gauge page for Niangua River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Lebanon gauge, the Niangua River runs fullest Mar–May 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 May days at this gauge ran above 362 CFS; the September median is 48 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 127 | |
| February | 175 | |
| March | 279 | |
| April | 346 | |
| May | 362 | |
| June | 206 | |
| July | 92 | |
| August | 50 | |
| September | 48 | |
| October | 48 | |
| November | 68 | |
| December | 106 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1991 — 35 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 31,000 CFS, in September 1993. 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 Missouri float rivers
-
Current River
Ozark National Scenic Riverways through Van Buren to Big Spring
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Eleven Point River
Greer Spring access to Riverton along the Irish Wilderness
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Huzzah Creek
Lower Huzzah through the Steelville resort valley to the Meramec confluence
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Jacks Fork River
Alley Spring to the Two Rivers confluence at Eminence
Fullest: Mar–May
-
Meramec River
Bird's Nest and Garrison's accesses near Steelville down to Onondaga Cave
Fullest: Mar–May
Common questions
When is the Niangua River usually at its fullest?
At the Lebanon gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in May (about 362 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.
What is a typical summer flow on the Niangua River?
The July median at this gauge is about 92 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Late summer is this river's lean season, so expect readings to drift down as the season goes on.
Is the Niangua 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 25 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 06923250 (Niangua River at Windyville, MO), chosen because it best represents the Bennett Spring State Park corridor near Lebanon. Daily records here reach back to 1991.
Data: USGS gauge 06923250, approved daily records 1991–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.