Pennsylvania · Frenchtown, NJ

Delaware River float season

Gauge 01463500 on the Lower Delaware from Frenchtown past Riegelsville. Bucks County's summer tubing water, wide and island-braided between historic bridge towns.

tubingcanoekayak Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Aug–Oct
Delaware River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 3k 15k 30k 50k
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 Delaware River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Frenchtown gauge, the Delaware River runs fullest Mar–May 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 April days at this gauge ran above 18,850 CFS; the September median is 4,035 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 9,880
February 9,860
March 16,900
April 18,850
May 11,800
June 7,010
July 5,090
August 4,460
September 4,035
October 4,360
November 7,500
December 9,860

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1913 — 112 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 279,000 CFS, in August 1955. 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 Pennsylvania float rivers

Common questions

When is the Delaware River usually at its fullest?

At the Frenchtown gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 18,850 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Delaware River?

The July median at this gauge is about 5,090 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 Delaware 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 112 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 01463500 (Delaware River at Trenton NJ), chosen because it best represents the Lower Delaware from Frenchtown past Riegelsville. Daily records here reach back to 1913.

Data: USGS gauge 01463500, approved daily records 1913–2025, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.