HOME
 


ABOUT
US

PHOTOS
 

RIVER
TRIPS

RIVER
MAPS

HOW TO
FIND US

RELEASE
FORM

LODGING
& LINKS

MAKE A
RESERVATION

RIVER
CONDITIONS

Today's River Conditions

As of: Wednesday July 23, 2008 9:00am
Today's River Level:
River Level is:
River Temperature: 80 degrees F
River Clarity Dead Clear
DOWNRIVER CANOE COMPANY is open every day, seven days a week.  To be honest, we have to call the river level "Very Low", our first "Very Low" designation this season.  Hopefully the rain today will be enough to boost the river level some.  The river is still very enjoyable, you just have to shorten up your trip and take your time to enjoy the beauty of the river.  We have shortened up most of our river trips, and our tube float is taking about three and a half hours.   Water clarity is beautifully crystal clear.  The water temperature has dropped to about 80 degrees with the cloudy weather today.  We have plenty of canoes, kayaks, rafts, and tubes available for today, so spur-of-the-moment river trips are in the cards.  For this coming Saturday (July 26th) we are already getting booked up on tubes, so make your reservation now (we still  have plenty of tubes left for Sunday though).  Also, we have plenty of canoes, kayaks, and rafts available for this weekend (we're just short on tubes for Saturday).  Please be advised our campground is full for this weekend as well.  Fishing continues to be really, really hot, the best it has been since 2004.  Fishermen out the past few weeks report good action on spinner baits and soft plastics.  One hundred fish per person days are being regularly reported, and numerous fish of decent size as well.  Please be advised we do not currently sell fishing licenses.  The local store in Bentonville does along with any Walmart or Kmart, or better yet you may purchase licenses on line at www.dgif.virginia.gov. We do carry live bait (nightcrawlers only right now).  It's mid summer; enjoy those hot, lazy surrmer days.  With all the afternoon storms of the past few weeks everything is so beautifully green and lush.  Hope to see you soon on the river.
PLEASE NOTE:
Be advised river conditions can change rapidly with sudden storms or heavy rain in the upper watershed. Also, water temperature can vary up to 6 degrees or more in a single day. To find out more detail about current conditions, try these links:

A link to the weather outlook for our area from weather.com

A link to the Luray River Gauge. (Over 6' is too high to canoe, 3' to 5' is ideal, lower than 2.3' is very low.)

A link to current weather radar image

River Level Descriptions

No canoes will be rented when the river is too damn high, no exceptions.
River is swift and powerful, use extra caution at Compton Rapid and the Low Water Bridge. Small rapids smoothed over. Keep those lifevests zipped up.
The ideal canoeing level. Lots of small rapids to play in.
Canoe will bump and scrape some, but canoeists should not have to step out of their canoes. Trips take longer.
Shorten up your trip. Canoeist will have to step out of their canoes from time to time, but even at this level the river can still be quite enjoyable if you take your time.