Oregon · Elkton, OR
Umpqua River float season
Gauge 14321000 on the Mainstem smallmouth water from River Forks to Elkton. Slow green pools stuffed with smallmouth bass, where canoes and drift boats disappear for whole days between Roseburg and Elkton.
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 Umpqua River. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Elkton gauge, the Umpqua River 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 January days at this gauge ran above 10,700 CFS; the August median is 1,110 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 10,700 | |
| February | 10,300 | |
| March | 9,960 | |
| April | 8,280 | |
| May | 5,690 | |
| June | 3,085 | |
| July | 1,430 | |
| August | 1,110 | |
| September | 1,120 | |
| October | 1,290 | |
| November | 2,685 | |
| December | 7,480 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1906 — 120 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 260,000 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
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Clackamas River
Milo McIver Park to Barton and Carver
Fullest: Mar–May
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Deschutes River
Riverbend Park through the Bend Whitewater Park to Drake Park
Fullest: Jun–Aug
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Deschutes River
Warm Springs to Sherars Falls through Maupin
Fullest: Feb–Apr
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Grande Ronde River
Minam to Troy
Fullest: Apr–Jun
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John Day River
Service Creek to Clarno
Fullest: Mar–May
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McKenzie River
Finn Rock through Vida to Leaburg
Fullest: Dec–Feb
Common questions
When is the Umpqua River usually at its fullest?
At the Elkton gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in January (about 10,700 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.
What is a typical summer flow on the Umpqua River?
The July median at this gauge is about 1,430 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 Umpqua 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 121 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 14321000 (UMPQUA RIVER NEAR ELKTON, OR), chosen because it best represents the Mainstem smallmouth water from River Forks to Elkton. Daily records here reach back to 1906.
Data: USGS gauge 14321000, approved daily records 1906–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.