Washington · Spokane, WA

Little Spokane River float season

Gauge 12431000 on the St. George's put-in through the Little Spokane Natural Area. A spring-fed ribbon through a protected natural area where paddlers count moose, herons, and pictographs instead of rapids.

canoekayaksup Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Aug–Oct
Little Spokane River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 75 300 750 1k
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 Little Spokane River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Spokane gauge, the Little Spokane 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 562 CFS; the August median is 125 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 234
February 319
March 538
April 562
May 370
June 234
July 153
August 125
September 131
October 152
November 182
December 205

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1929 — 97 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 3,710 CFS, in March 1997. 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 Washington float rivers

Common questions

When is the Little Spokane River usually at its fullest?

At the Spokane gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 562 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Little Spokane River?

The July median at this gauge is about 153 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 Little Spokane 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 82 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 12431000 (LITTLE SPOKANE RIVER AT DARTFORD, WA), chosen because it best represents the St. George's put-in through the Little Spokane Natural Area. Daily records here reach back to 1929.

Data: USGS gauge 12431000, approved daily records 1929–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.