Smoky Hill River in Kansas
Around here
Around Smoky Hill River
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Smoky Hill River is a 62.1 mile river. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Smoky Hill R at Ellsworth, KS (site 06864500). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 6. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1896 to 2026
Smoky Hill River typically runs highest in June, at a median 132 cfs, and lowest in January, at 35 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 41,800 cfs, in 1938.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 35 | 20 to 70 |
| February | 47 | 25 to 82 |
| March | 50 | 30 to 92 |
| April | 61 | 31 to 157 |
| May | 95 | 39 to 261 |
| June | 132 | 55 to 367 |
| July | 100 | 38 to 237 |
| August | 73 | 32 to 232 |
| September | 63 | 23 to 148 |
| October | 43 | 20 to 94 |
| November | 42 | 22 to 79 |
| December | 38 | 21 to 71 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 115 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Smoky Hill R at Ellsworth, KS (site 06864500). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
4 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Smoky Hill River, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Cedar Bluff-ComancheSmoky Hill River - Cedar Bluff ReservoirPublic
- Cedar Bluff-Cove ThreeSmoky Hill River - Cedar Bluff ReservoirPublic
- Cedar Bluff-OverlandSmoky Hill River - Cedar Bluff ReservoirPublic
- Cedar Bluff-Cove OneSmoky Hill River - Cedar Bluff ReservoirPublic
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Smoky Hill River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
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