Vermont · Arlington, VT

Battenkill float season

Gauge 01329000 on the Arlington covered-bridge water toward the NY line. Vermont's storied trout stream is also its loveliest lazy canoe float, slipping under covered bridges on cold clear water.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Jul–Sep
Battenkill — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 100 500 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 Battenkill. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Arlington gauge, the Battenkill runs fullest Mar–May 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 April days at this gauge ran above 740 CFS; the August median is 101 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 204
February 198
March 276
April 740
May 429
June 216
July 129
August 101
September 104
October 135
November 226
December 232

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1929 — 55 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 7,280 CFS, in March 1936. 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 Vermont float rivers

Common questions

When is the Battenkill usually at its fullest?

At the Arlington gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 740 CFS). The leanest months are usually Jul–Sep.

What is a typical summer flow on the Battenkill?

The July median at this gauge is about 129 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 Battenkill 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 56 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 01329000 (BATTEN KILL AT ARLINGTON, VT), chosen because it best represents the Arlington covered-bridge water toward the NY line. Daily records here reach back to 1929.

Data: USGS gauge 01329000, approved daily records 1929–1984, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.