South Carolina · Long Creek, SC

Chattooga River float season

Gauge 02177000 on the Wild and Scenic canyon around the US 76 bridge. The Wild and Scenic canyon of Deliverance fame remains the Southeast's most storied raft trip, guides and paddlers returning for its remote, road-free miles.

raftkayakcanoe Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Aug–Oct
Chattooga River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 100 400 1k 1.5k
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 Chattooga River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Long Creek gauge, the Chattooga River runs fullest Feb–Apr 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 March days at this gauge ran above 778 CFS; the October median is 308 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 662
February 716
March 778
April 765
May 605
June 496
July 387
August 365
September 315
October 308
November 365
December 521

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1940 — 86 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 19,000 CFS, in September 2024. 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 South Carolina float rivers

Common questions

When is the Chattooga River usually at its fullest?

At the Long Creek gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 778 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Chattooga River?

The July median at this gauge is about 387 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 Chattooga 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 87 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 02177000 (CHATTOOGA RIVER NEAR CLAYTON, GA), chosen because it best represents the Wild and Scenic canyon around the US 76 bridge. Daily records here reach back to 1940.

Data: USGS gauge 02177000, 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.