Around here
Around Big Sandy River
- Tennessee National Wildlife RefugeRecreation area6.1 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Fort Donelson National BattlefieldRecreation area19.3 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Fort Donelson Visitor CenterVisitor center20.8 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Cross Creeks National Wildlife RefugeRecreation area23.8 mi (opens in a new tab)
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Big Sandy River is a 55.9 mile river near Bone's Kayak & Campground in Tennessee. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Big Sandy River at Bruceton, TN (site 03606500). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 7. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1929 to 2026
Big Sandy River typically runs highest in March, at a median 234 cfs, and lowest in August, at 72 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 30,000 cfs, in 2010.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 198 | 132 to 377 |
| February | 230 | 159 to 401 |
| March | 234 | 168 to 498 |
| April | 191 | 136 to 368 |
| May | 134 | 94 to 238 |
| June | 96 | 71 to 146 |
| July | 79 | 58 to 120 |
| August | 72 | 53 to 110 |
| September | 72 | 53 to 100 |
| October | 77 | 61 to 112 |
| November | 123 | 89 to 194 |
| December | 166 | 115 to 307 |
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 82 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Big Sandy River at Bruceton, TN (site 03606500). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
8 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Big Sandy River. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Maples Creek LakeMaples Creek LakePublic
- Big SandyTennessee River - Kentucky LakePublic
- Gravel PitTennessee River - Kentucky LakePublic
- Country JunctionTennessee River - Kentucky LakeRestricted
- New HopeTennessee River - Kentucky LakePublic
- Pleasant View ResortTennessee River - Kentucky LakePublic
- Britton FordTennessee River - Kentucky LakePublic
- Swamp CreekTennessee River - Kentucky LakePublic
Made to print
Put Big Sandy River 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 Big Sandy River'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.
