Muskingum River — McConnelsville to Beverly: River Level Today — Can You Paddle It?

At 31,500 cfs the Muskingum River is 11,500 cfs over the 20,000 cfs ceiling for this reach — far enough past it that this is not a level to be on the water at.

Over the last 24 hours it has gone from 39,500 cfs to 31,500 cfs, 20% down. Daily means over the past 6 days have run between 13,800 cfs and 35,800 cfs, 18% higher at the end of the week than the start. The last day and the week as a whole point opposite ways, which usually means a recent rain bump on top of a longer rising trend — worth a second look at the chart before you commit to the drive.

Muskingum River at McConnelsville to Beverly is a 15-mile Flatwater float in Ohio — no rapids under normal flows, just moving water and the odd riffle. Most paddlers put in at McConnelsville (Lock 7 landing) and take out at Beverly (Lock 4 / riverfront), a trip that runs about 6 hours at a relaxed pace.

Whether it's worth the drive comes down to flow. This section generally paddles well at 800–20,000 cfs (a conservative estimate — see our methodology). Much below that and the Muskingum River gets low and bony, so you end up scraping gravel and walking the shallows; well above the top of the range it turns fast, cold and pushy, which is a more serious day than most casual boaters want. We read USGS gauge 03150500 about every 30 minutes and compare the live number to that window, so the verdict at the top of this page reflects conditions right now rather than a monthly average.

Flows here are usually most dependable April–November. Spring can run high after rain or snowmelt, and late summer often drops too low to float well — but the gauge always beats the calendar, so check today's reading before you go.