Payette River
Last Updated: April 20, 2026
Total streamflow across the
Payette River
was last observed at
23,760
cfs, and is expected to yield approximately
47,127
acre-ft of water today; about 197%
of normal.
River levels are high.
Average streamflow for this time of year is
12,035 cfs,
with recent peaks last observed
on
2019-04-10 when daily discharge volume was observed at
68,500 cfs.
Maximum discharge along the river is currently at the
Payette River Nr Payette Id
reporting a streamflow rate of 6,660 cfs.
However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the
Payette River Nr Letha Id
with a gauge stage of 9.84 ft.
This river is monitored from 4 different streamgauging stations along the Payette River, the highest being situated at an altitude of 2,638 ft, the
Payette River Nr Horseshoe Bend Id.
The Payette River is a popular river in Idaho that is approximately 82 miles in length and runs through the Payette National Forest.
15-Day Long Term Forecast
River Details
| Last Updated | 2026-04-20 |
| Discharge Volume | 47,127 ACRE-FT |
| Streamflow |
23,760.0 cfs
Past 24 Hours: -1480.0 cfs (-5.86%) |
| Percent of Normal | 197.43% |
| Maximum |
68,500.0 cfs
2019-04-10 |
| Seasonal Avg | 12,035 cfs |
River Streamflow Levels
| Streamgauge | Streamflow | Gauge Stage | 24hr Change (%) | % Normal | Minimum (cfs) | Maximum (cfs) | Air Temp | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Payette River Nr Horseshoe Bend Id
USGS 13247500 |
5580 cfs | 7.79 ft | -3.13 | |||||
|
Payette River Nr Emmett Id
USGS 13249500 |
5870 cfs | 5.88 ft | -8.14 | |||||
|
Payette River Nr Letha Id
USGS 13250000 |
5650 cfs | 9.84 ft | -4.72 | |||||
|
Payette River Nr Payette Id
USGS 13251000 |
6660 cfs | 7.65 ft | -6.98 |
Seasonal Discharge Comparison
Maximum Streamflow Discharge
Streamflow Elevation Profile
The Payette River is an 82.7-mile-long (133.1 km) river in southwestern Idaho and is a major tributary of the Snake River.
Its headwaters originate in the Sawtooth and Salmon River Mountains at elevations over 10,000 feet (3,000 m). Drainage in the watershed flows primarily from east to west, with the cumulative stream length to the head of the North Fork Payette River being 180 miles (290 km), while to the head of the South Fork the cumulative length is nearly 163 miles (262 km). The combined Payette River flows into an agricultural valley and empties into the Snake River near the city of Payette at an elevation of 2,125 feet (648 m). The Payette River's drainage basin comprises about 3,240 square miles (8,400 km2). It is a physiographic section of the Columbia Plateau province, which in turn is part of the larger Intermontane Plateaus physiographic division. The South Fork of the Payette has its headwaters in the Sawtooth Wilderness, which is part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Boise Nf Boundary To Confluence With Payette River
Boise Nf Boundary (1 Mile East Of Banks) To Boise Nf Boundary (1 Mile South Of Banks)
South Fork Payette
Long Gulch To Boise Nf Boundary
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