Washington · Leavenworth, WA

Wenatchee River float season

Gauge 12459000 on the Leavenworth to Cashmere. Leavenworth's hot-afternoon playground — surf waves for rafts in early summer, then long lazy tube flotillas down to Cashmere as flows drop.

tubingraftkayak Fullest: May–Jul Leanest: Aug–Oct
Wenatchee River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1k 4k 10k 15k
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 Wenatchee River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Leavenworth gauge, the Wenatchee River runs fullest May–Jul 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 June days at this gauge ran above 7,765 CFS; the September median is 648 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 1,200
February 1,150
March 1,400
April 3,155
May 7,670
June 7,765
July 3,500
August 1,070
September 648
October 725
November 1,350
December 1,300

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1929 — 97 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 38,900 CFS, in November 1996. 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 Wenatchee River usually at its fullest?

At the Leavenworth gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is May–Jul, with the single highest monthly median in June (about 7,765 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Wenatchee River?

The July median at this gauge is about 3,500 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 Wenatchee 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 97 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 12459000 (WENATCHEE RIVER AT PESHASTIN, WA), chosen because it best represents the Leavenworth to Cashmere. Daily records here reach back to 1929.

Data: USGS gauge 12459000, 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.