West Virginia · Harpers Ferry, WV

Shenandoah River (Main Stem) float season

Name: USGS daily streamflow statistics for gauge 01636500 (Shenandoah River (Main Stem))
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-works

Gauge 01636500 on the The Staircase, Bloomery to the Harpers Ferry confluence. The Staircase's tiered ledges carry rafts and tubes to the dramatic meeting of the Shenandoah and Potomac beneath Harpers Ferry's cliffs.

rafttubingkayak Fullest: Feb–Apr Leanest: Aug–Oct

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 Shenandoah River (Main Stem). Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Harpers Ferry gauge, the Shenandoah River (Main Stem) 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 3,340 CFS; the September median is 762 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)	Relative volume
January	2,110
February	2,610
March	3,340
April	2,975
May	2,590
June	1,570
July	1,120
August	915
September	762
October	846
November	1,005
December	1,640

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1895 — 131 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 192,000 CFS, in October 1943. 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 West Virginia float rivers

Common questions

When is the Shenandoah River (Main Stem) usually at its fullest?

At the Harpers Ferry gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Feb–Apr, with the single highest monthly median in March (about 3,340 CFS). The leanest months are usually Aug–Oct.

What is a typical summer flow on the Shenandoah River (Main Stem)?

The July median at this gauge is about 1,120 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 Shenandoah River (Main Stem) 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 111 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 01636500 (SHENANDOAH RIVER AT MILLVILLE, WV), chosen because it best represents the The Staircase, Bloomery to the Harpers Ferry confluence. Daily records here reach back to 1895.

Data: USGS gauge 01636500, approved daily records 1895–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.