[1] The Cleurie rises in the massif des Vosges, within the commune of Gérardmer from the confluence of two streams, the Corsaire and the Noir Rupt.

The river's average interannual flow rate or discharge at Cleurie is 2.39 cubic metres per second (84 cu ft/s).

High water occurs at the end of autumn and in winter, and are typified by monthly average instantaneous flow rates of between 2.82 and 3.54 cubic metres per second (100 and 125 cu ft/s), from November to March inclusive, with a maximum in December and January.

Low water occurs in spring, from July to September inclusive, with a minimum monthly average flow rate of 1.02 cubic metres per second (36 cu ft/s) in August.

The maximum instantaneous flow rate ever recorded at Cleurie over the entire period for which measurements exist was 51.7 cubic metres per second (1,830 cu ft/s) on 25 January 1995, while the maximum ever recorded daily average value was 33.3 cubic metres per second (1,180 cu ft/s) the same day.