Oregon · Bend, OR

Deschutes River float season

Gauge 14064500 on the Riverbend Park through the Bend Whitewater Park to Drake Park. Bend's summer ritual: tubes and paddleboards drifting from Riverbend Park through the whitewater park's passage channel to Drake Park, with a shuttle back for another lap.

tubingsupkayak Fullest: Jun–Aug Leanest: Nov–Jan
Deschutes River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 200 750 1.5k 2.5k
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 Deschutes River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Bend gauge, the Deschutes River runs fullest Jun–Aug and leanest Nov–Jan. 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 July days at this gauge ran above 2,200 CFS; the November median is 846 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 892
February 920
March 1,030
April 1,275
May 1,810
June 2,010
July 2,200
August 2,000
September 1,725
October 1,080
November 846
December 857

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1924 — 67 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 3,410 CFS, in December 1965. 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 Oregon float rivers

Common questions

When is the Deschutes River usually at its fullest?

At the Bend gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jun–Aug, with the single highest monthly median in July (about 2,200 CFS). The leanest months are usually Nov–Jan.

What is a typical summer flow on the Deschutes River?

The July median at this gauge is about 2,200 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 Deschutes 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 67 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 14064500 (DESCHUTES R AT BENHAM FALLS NR BEND, OR), chosen because it best represents the Riverbend Park through the Bend Whitewater Park to Drake Park. Daily records here reach back to 1924.

Data: USGS gauge 14064500, approved daily records 1924–1991, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.