Around here
Around French Creek
Temperature from a 1980 federal survey. The record says nothing about access, ownership or current conditions.
- Catch a glimpse of the fast Pronghorn gliding through the HillsWildlife Watching14.3 mi (opens in a new tab)
- See Prairie Dogs in Their Prairie Dog TownsWildlife Watching14.3 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Bike Wind CaveRoad Biking14.3 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Bird Watching in Wind CaveBirdwatching · 15-60 Minutes14.3 mi (opens in a new tab)
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Thermal springs: NOAA NCEI (1980) · Source: National Park Service. No claim to original U.S. Government works. · Public land: USGS PAD-US · Forest roads: USDA Forest Service MVUM · BLM routes and areas: Bureau of Land Management (simplified for web display)
About this river
French Creek is a 62.1 mile river near Blue Bell Stables in South Dakota. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge French Creek above Fairburn, SD (site 06403300). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 5. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1983 to 2026
French Creek typically runs highest in May, at a median 14 cfs, and lowest in September, at 2.5 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 536 cfs, in 1995.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2.5 | 1.3 to 5.0 |
| February | 3.0 | 1.4 to 5.5 |
| March | 7.0 | 3.9 to 12 |
| April | 9.8 | 5.2 to 17 |
| May | 14 | 6.0 to 28 |
| June | 12 | 5.0 to 36 |
| July | 6.6 | 1.8 to 18 |
| August | 4.4 | 1.5 to 9.9 |
| September | 2.5 | 1.3 to 6.7 |
| October | 3.8 | 1.9 to 10 |
| November | 3.5 | 1.9 to 7.2 |
| December | 2.5 | 1.4 to 5.3 |
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 43 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for French Creek above Fairburn, SD (site 06403300). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
2 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of French Creek, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Legion LakePublic
- Custer State Park - StockadePublic
Made to print
Put French Creek on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show French Creek's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
