Oregon · Eugene, OR

Willamette River float season

Gauge 14166000 on the Eugene to Harrisburg (Willamette Water Trail). College-town paddling on the Willamette Water Trail, with gravel-bar swim stops between Eugene's riverfront parks and quiet farm country downstream.

canoekayaksup Fullest: Dec–Feb Leanest: Jul–Sep
Willamette River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 3k 10k 25k 40k
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 Willamette River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Eugene gauge, the Willamette River runs fullest Dec–Feb and leanest Jul–Sep. 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 16,200 CFS; the July median is 4,610 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 16,200
February 11,800
March 10,900
April 10,450
May 9,790
June 6,970
July 4,610
August 4,870
September 5,300
October 6,340
November 9,790
December 15,200

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1945 — 81 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 173,000 CFS, in December 1946. 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 Willamette River usually at its fullest?

At the Eugene gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Dec–Feb, with the single highest monthly median in January (about 16,200 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the Willamette River?

The July median at this gauge is about 4,610 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 Willamette 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 81 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 14166000 (WILLAMETTE RIVER AT HARRISBURG, OR), chosen because it best represents the Eugene to Harrisburg (Willamette Water Trail). Daily records here reach back to 1945.

Data: USGS gauge 14166000, approved daily records 1945–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.