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Guadalupe River Water Levels: When to Visit for Tubing vs. Swimming
Son's Geronimo
The Guadalupe River is moody. A great tubing weekend in June can become a barely-floating shuffle in August, then a closed-for-flooding river after one big October storm. If you're planning a trip — especially with kids — knowing how to read water levels saves you from showing up to a river you can't actually use.
This is the short, non-engineer version.
## The two numbers that matter
Every trip planning conversation should start with:
1. **Flow rate** in cubic feet per second (cfs)
2. **Water temperature** in degrees F
You can pull both from the USGS gauges at Spring Branch, Sattler, and New Braunfels in about 10 seconds. Bookmark the Sattler gauge — it's the standard reference for the popular upper Guadalupe tubing stretches.
## What the cfs numbers mean for tubing
| Flow (cfs) | What it feels like | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Under 100 | Walking your tube over rocks | Skip tubing, swim instead |
| 100–200 | Slow drift, fine for kids | Family-friendly |
| 200–400 | Classic Guadalupe float | Sweet spot |
| 400–800 | Faster, more fun for adults | Skip with under-8s |
| 800–1,500 | Pushy, advanced tubers | Outfitters often pull tubes |
| 1,500+ | River closed | Do not enter |
Outfitters along the Horseshoe and 4th Crossing stretches will close when cfs gets too high — but solo trips don't have anyone to tell you no. Check the gauge the morning of.
## Why temperature matters more than you think
The Guadalupe below Canyon Lake is fed by water released from the bottom of the dam — cold even in August (often 55–65°F). That's part of the appeal: tubing in cold water on a 100° Texas day is magical. But:
- Under 65°F gets uncomfortable fast for kids
- Combine 60°F water with a cloudy day and the trip is miserable
- Hypothermia is real for long floats in cold water without sun
Above Canyon Lake (the upper Guadalupe near Hunt and Kerrville) is warmer because it's surface-fed. Different experience entirely.
## When to go (by month)
| Month | Typical flow | Temp | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 200–500 cfs | Cold | Adult floats |
| April | 200–500 | Cool | Spring break crowds |
| May | 300–700 | Cool | Tubing peak begins |
| June | 300–600 | Cool | Best month overall |
| July | 200–400 | Cool | Crowded but fun |
| August | 100–300 | Cool | Shorter floats |
| September | 100–300 | Cool–mild | Underrated, quieter |
| October | Variable | Mild | Storm-dependent |
| Nov–Feb | Variable | Cold | Cabin weekend, not tubing |
These are typical ranges. Drought years run lower; wet years run higher. Always check the gauge the week of your trip.
## Reading a USGS gauge in 30 seconds
1. Google "USGS Sattler Guadalupe"
2. Look at the current value in cfs (top of the page)
3. Look at the graph — is it spiking up (recent rain) or steady?
4. Look at temperature on the same page
5. Compare cfs to the table above
Spiking flow after a storm is the most dangerous condition because the water keeps rising for 24–48 hours after the rain stops. If the line is going up steeply, wait a day.
## Where Son's Geronimo fits in
Son's Geronimo sits on spring-fed Geronimo Creek, not the Guadalupe — which means our water levels are far more predictable. Geronimo Creek stays paddleable nearly year-round because it's fed by springs, not surface runoff. We don't offer tubing on our creek (the spring-fed flow is too slow), but cabin guests get free use of paddleboards and kayaks year-round.
For guests who specifically want a Guadalupe tubing day, the river is about 25 minutes from our cabins. Most families do both: spring-fed paddle in the morning at the creek, Guadalupe tube trip in the afternoon, back to the cabin pools by sundown.
If you want a property *on* the Guadalupe, our sister property [Son's Guadalupe](https://sonsguadalupe.com) is on the river. For a property on the calmer San Marcos River with included tubing, [Son's River Ranch](https://sonsriverranch.com) is the move.
## TL;DR for trip planning
- Check the Sattler gauge the morning of your float
- 200–400 cfs is the family sweet spot
- Under 100 cfs, swim instead of tube
- Cold water + cloudy day = miserable, plan around it
- After heavy rain, wait 48 hours
The river rewards people who pay attention to it. A 10-second gauge check before you load the truck saves the trip.
