05/30/2026
Here's an updated river report for the river conditions following the rain we got last week. Report and pictures provided by Seth Gillespy, who worked at Downriver for 7 years and is also engaged to our office manager Sydney! Seth took a solo canoe on our Trip 3.5, Compton back down to our shop.
The river is running really well right now. With the rainfall we had in the past week it brought the river up to a peak height of just under 5ft on Thursday and has fallen since then to a height of 3.6 as of this Saturday morning. Seth was on the river on Friday when the river was sitting at 4 feet, so the river will look a little higher in his pictures then it is currently. The bigger ledges and rapids have been washed out, while smaller rapids have turned into small wave trains along the river. Very fun to play in if you know what you're doing!
The river remains very stained. Fishing may not be ideal right now, but if you're looking for catfish, this a perfect time to go after those guys! We predict the staining in the river to clear up early next week.
Wildlife was abundant! Some things out of the ordinary that Seth saw was a racoon swimming in the river (racoon pictured post swim), and white squirrel with a grey spot on its head. Of course, he also saw herons, turtles, and mergansers.
In conclusion, the river is in perfect conditions for paddling right now. The river is sitting right at the ideal height, and the gentle push from the current will make any trip exceptional. All trips are a go for this weekend, excluding tubing since the water is still not quite warm enough yet. Come out and see us and spend a day on the Shenandoah!
