Wisconsin · Ontario, WI

Kickapoo River float season

Gauge 05408000 on the Ontario to La Farge through Wildcat Mountain. The famously crooked Driftless gem winds beneath dripping sandstone amphitheaters, with liveries in Ontario feeding a steady parade of canoes.

canoekayaktubing Fullest: Mar–May Leanest: Dec–Feb
Kickapoo River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 50 200 400 750
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 Kickapoo River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Ontario gauge, the Kickapoo River runs fullest Mar–May and leanest Dec–Feb. 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 213 CFS; the January median is 120 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 120
February 130
March 200
April 213
May 175
June 162
July 142
August 130
September 131
October 138
November 148
December 130

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1939 — 87 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 10,400 CFS, in August 2018. 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 Wisconsin float rivers

Common questions

When is the Kickapoo River usually at its fullest?

At the Ontario gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Mar–May, with the single highest monthly median in April (about 213 CFS). The leanest months are usually Dec–Feb.

What is a typical summer flow on the Kickapoo River?

The July median at this gauge is about 142 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Check the ribbon chart above to see how summer compares with the rest of the year here.

Is the Kickapoo 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 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 05408000 (KICKAPOO RIVER AT LA FARGE, WI), chosen because it best represents the Ontario to La Farge through Wildcat Mountain. Daily records here reach back to 1939.

Data: USGS gauge 05408000, 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.