Texas · Kountze, TX
Village Creek float season
Gauge 08041500 on the Big Thicket blackwater run from Village Mills toward Kountze and Silsbee. East Texas' blackwater escape, all white sandbars and baygall shade, a Big Thicket world away from the Hill Country crowds.
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 Village Creek. Provisional data — subject to revision.
The year on this river
In a typical year at the Kountze gauge, the Village Creek 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 February days at this gauge ran above 866 CFS; the September median is 125 CFS.
| Month | Typical flow (CFS) | Relative volume |
|---|---|---|
| January | 782 | |
| February | 866 | |
| March | 729 | |
| April | 510 | |
| May | 403 | |
| June | 285 | |
| July | 183 | |
| August | 128 | |
| September | 125 | |
| October | 143 | |
| November | 226 | |
| December | 550 |
Record context
This gauge has measured daily flow since 1939 — 87 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 151,000 CFS, in August 2017. 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 Texas float rivers
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Fullest: Mar–May
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Brazos River
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Fullest: Jun–Aug
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Colorado River
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Fullest: May–Jul
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Comal River
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Fullest: Jan–Mar
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Frio River
Garner State Park through the Concan crossings
Fullest: Mar–May
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Guadalupe River
Canyon Dam tailrace from Sattler through the Horseshoe Loop toward New Braunfels
Fullest: Apr–Jun
Common questions
When is the Village Creek usually at its fullest?
At the Kountze gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Jan–Mar, with the single highest monthly median in February (about 866 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.
What is a typical summer flow on the Village Creek?
The July median at this gauge is about 183 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 Village Creek 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 08041500 (Village Ck nr Kountze, TX), chosen because it best represents the Big Thicket blackwater run from Village Mills toward Kountze and Silsbee. Daily records here reach back to 1939.
Data: USGS gauge 08041500, approved daily records 1939–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.