Ohio · Mount Vernon, OH

Kokosing River float season

Gauge 03136500 on the Mount Vernon to Howard water trail. A designated Ohio scenic river and water trail whose quiet wooded miles have a devoted following of canoe campers and smallmouth floaters.

canoekayak Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Aug–Oct
Kokosing River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 75 300 750 1k
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 Kokosing River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Mount Vernon gauge, the Kokosing River runs fullest Feb–Apr 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 March days at this gauge ran above 273 CFS; the September median is 41 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 153
February 195
March 273
April 250
May 184
June 110
July 78
August 47
September 41
October 41
November 70
December 131

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1953 — 73 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 14,600 CFS, in January 1959. 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 Ohio float rivers

Common questions

When is the Kokosing River usually at its fullest?

At the Mount Vernon gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 273 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Kokosing River?

The July median at this gauge is about 78 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 Kokosing 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 73 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 03136500 (Kokosing River at Mount Vernon OH), chosen because it best represents the Mount Vernon to Howard water trail. Daily records here reach back to 1953.

Data: USGS gauge 03136500, approved daily records 1953–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.