The live Wenatchee flow against published whitewater bands, the float season, and how to stay safe on cold water.
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The Wenatchee runs right through Leavenworth, and on a hot day it fills with tubers and rafters. This page reads the live flow off the USGS gauge and shows where it falls against the flow bands American Whitewater publishes for this run — plus how to be safe on cold, fast water.
Low water — 411 cfs
Below American Whitewater's runnable range — late-summer flow. Rafts get technical and scrapey; it is the gentler water tubers see in town, but it is still cold and still moving. Last reading October 12 at 4:15 AM.
The flow is read at the Wenatchee River at Peshastin. Peshastin is about 9 miles downstream of Leavenworth, after the river has gathered Icicle and Peshastin creeks, so it reads a bit higher than the water at Barn Beach — but it is the gauge American Whitewater and local boaters watch for this run.
These bands come from American Whitewater — Wenatchee, Leavenworth to Cashmere and describe the river’s size and whitewater difficulty — not a judgement that floating is safe for you today. Cold, moving water is stronger than it looks.
| Flow | What it means |
|---|---|
| → Low waterunder 1,500 cfs | Below American Whitewater's runnable range — late-summer flow. Rafts get technical and scrapey; it is the gentler water tubers see in town, but it is still cold and still moving. |
| Runnable — Class III1,500–7,999 cfs | American Whitewater's runnable range and the classic summer rafting flow: lively wave trains with calmer stretches in between. |
| High — Class III+8,000–13,999 cfs | Bigger, pushier water. Outfitters still run it, but it is not beginner water and the cold hits harder if you go in. |
| Very high — Class III+ to IV-14,000 cfs and up | Peak snowmelt: powerful, cold and fast, for experienced boaters with the right gear. Not a day for tubes or cheap floats. |
Before you get on the river
Commercial rafting season runs roughly mid-April through September, biggest in May and June on the snowmelt and dropping off through July and August. The town's float season for the in-town tubing stretch runs early June to early September from the Icicle Bridge put-in (the Fish Hatchery put-in is open in June only, and its gate closes July 1). On summer weekends, River Recreation Ambassadors and life-jacket stations are staffed at the access points, roughly 11am–5pm Saturdays and Sundays.
| Spot | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Icicle Bridge | Put in | Float-season put-in, early June to early September. |
| Fish Hatchery | Put in | Open June only; the lot gate closes July 1. |
| Barn Beach | Take out | The main take-out — get out here. The "Don't Float Past Here" markers are just below. |
| East Leavenworth Road Boat Launch | Take out | Downstream ramp, mainly for boats. |
| Blackbird Island | On-river marker | The in-river island just before Barn Beach; stay toward the take-out side. |
In December 2025 the Wenatchee crested around 17 feet at this gauge, and the flooding destroyed a 49-mile stretch of US-2 through Tumwater Canyon — cutting the only direct route to the Seattle side for about two months. When a flood warning is in force it shows on the valley's weather warnings page and on the NWS gauge linked above.
Checked October 12 at 4:50 AM. Recent readings are provisional USGS data, subject to revision. Streamflow from the U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Official gauge page: waterdata.usgs.gov.