Ottawa River Flow
As of 2026-07-25, the Ottawa River is flowing at a combined 21 cfs across 3 USGS streamgauges — 14% of normal for this time of year, versus a seasonal average of 151 cfs.
Total streamflow across the Ottawa River was last observed at 21 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 42 acre-ft of water today; about 14% of normal. River levels are low and may signify a drought. Average streamflow for this time of year is 151 cfs, with recent peaks last observed on 2024-04-03 when daily discharge volume was observed at 9,810 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the Ottawa River Near Kalida Oh reporting a streamflow rate of 21.2 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Ottawa River At Lima Oh with a gauge stage of 9.38 ft. This river is monitored from 3 different streamgauging stations along the Ottawa River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 841 ft, the Ottawa River At Lima Oh.
River streamflow levels
Daily aggregate streamflow across every monitored gauge along the Ottawa River. Use the range buttons to zoom in on a specific period.
Total streamflow
Sum of all monitored streamgauges · daily
Every streamgauge along the Ottawa River
All 3 USGS gauges Snoflo tracks for this river, with current flow, stage, recent change, percent of normal, and the gauge's all-time min / max. Click any header to sort. Cells are heatmapped relative to the column min/max -- darker blue = higher.
| Streamgauge▾ | Streamflow (cfs)▾ | Gauge stage (ft)▾ | 24h Δ (%)▾ | % Normal▾ | Min (cfs)▾ | Max (cfs)▾ | Elevation (ft)▾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ottawa River At Lima Oh
OH
USGS 04187100
|
0 | 9.38 | -48.8 | 2% | 0 | 4,910 | 841 |
|
Ottawa River Near Kalida Oh
OH
USGS 04188100
|
21 | 3.88 | -6.6 | 29% | 19 | 7,750 | 723 |
|
Ottawa River At University Of Toledo Toledo Oh
OH
USGS 04177000
|
12 | 1.95 | -2.4 | 72% | 0 | 2,740 | 591 |
Maximum streamflow discharge by year
The single highest aggregate discharge recorded each year. Spotting the multi-year trend reveals droughts vs. wet cycles long before the headline daily flow does.
Annual peak discharge
From the river's full record · one point per water year
Streamflow elevation profile
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by current streamflow (x-axis) vs elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-to-bottom traces the river from headwaters down to its mouth -- you can see flow accumulate as elevation drops.
Elevation vs streamflow
One point per monitored gauge · bubble size = gauge stage
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a 1,271 km long river that runs through Ontario and Quebec, with a drainage basin of 146,300 km². The river has been an important transportation route for Indigenous peoples for thousands of years and played a crucial role in the fur trade. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the river powered many sawmills, paper mills, and other industries. The river is also used for hydroelectric power generation, with many dams and reservoirs located along its course, including the Carillon and Des Joachims dams. Additionally, the Ottawa River is a popular destination for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and swimming, and is home to numerous parks and conservation areas. The river also supports agriculture, particularly in its watershed in eastern Ontario, where many farms rely on the river for irrigation.
Recreation along the Ottawa River
Fishing access and paddle runs Snoflo tracks within the watershed.
Track the Ottawa River in the Snoflo app
Set per-gauge push alerts (e.g. "alert me when flow at the Russian R Nr Healdsburg crosses 5,000 cfs"), and Snoflo's iOS app pushes the moment USGS reports the crossing.
About the Ottawa River
How is the Ottawa River flowing right now?
As of 2026-07-25, the Ottawa River is flowing at a combined 21 cfs across its USGS streamgauges, about 14% of normal for this date. The live per-gauge breakdown and 24-hour trend are shown above.
Is the Ottawa River running high or low right now?
Check the percent-of-normal figure on this page: above 100% means the river is running higher than its seasonal average for the date, below 100% means lower. The per-gauge table shows which reaches are highest and lowest.
Where does the data for the Ottawa River come from?
Streamflow and gauge stage data are sourced from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System. The aggregate flow shown at the top of the page is computed by Snoflo as the sum of all monitored gauges along the river.
How is "percent of normal" calculated?
Today's aggregate streamflow is compared to the historical average aggregate streamflow on this calendar day across the river's full record. 100% means right on average; values above 100% indicate above-normal flow (wet year); values below indicate below-normal (dry year or drought).
Why are some gauges showing very different flows?
Gauges along a river measure flow at different points: headwater gauges read what's coming off the snowpack or mountain runoff; downstream gauges integrate everything upstream, including tributary inputs. Wide spreads usually mean a tributary is contributing significantly between gauges.
What's the elevation profile chart showing?
Each bubble is one gauge along the river, plotted by streamflow (x-axis) and elevation (y-axis), sized by gauge stage. Reading top-down traces the river from headwaters to mouth -- you can see flow build as elevation drops.
Can I get alerts when a specific gauge crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app on a per-gauge basis. Open any individual streamgauge from the table above and favorite it to set a discharge threshold.