Oregon · Grants Pass, OR

Rogue River float season

Gauge 14361500 on the Grants Pass through Hellgate Canyon to Grave Creek. Day floats slide past Hellgate Canyon's sheer cliffs and the wild steelhead water that made the Rogue famous.

raftkayakdriftboat Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Sep–Nov
Rogue River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1k 4k 10k 15k
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 Rogue River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Grants Pass gauge, the Rogue River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Sep–Nov. 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 3,880 CFS; the September median is 1,390 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) Relative volume
January 3,360
February 3,480
March 3,880
April 3,880
May 3,560
June 2,665
July 1,650
August 1,720
September 1,390
October 1,400
November 1,665
December 2,620

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1940 — 86 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 124,000 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 Rogue River usually at its fullest?

At the Grants Pass gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 3,880 CFS). The leanest months are usually Sep–Nov.

What is a typical summer flow on the Rogue River?

The July median at this gauge is about 1,650 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 Rogue 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 86 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 14361500 (ROGUE RIVER AT GRANTS PASS, OR), chosen because it best represents the Grants Pass through Hellgate Canyon to Grave Creek. Daily records here reach back to 1940.

Data: USGS gauge 14361500, approved daily records 1940–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.