Red Flag Warning
2025-12-17T18:00:00-07:00

* AFFECTED AREA...Fire Weather Zones 241, 242, 243, 245 and 246. * TIMING...Until 6 PM MST this evening. * WINDS...West 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. * RELATIVE HUMIDITY...As low as 16 percent. * IMPACTS...Conditions will be favorable for rapid fire spread. Avoid outdoor burning and any activity that may produce a spark and start a wildfire.


Payette River River Levels

Last Updated: December 17, 2025

The Payette River is a popular river in Idaho that is approximately 82 miles in length and runs through the Payette National Forest.


Summary

Total streamflow across the Payette River was last observed at 5,220 cfs, and is expected to yield approximately 10,354 acre-ft of water today; about 167% of normal. River levels are high. Average streamflow for this time of year is 3,132 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 1,450 cfs. However, the streamgauge with the highest stage along the river is the Payette River Nr Letha Id with a gauge stage of 7.91 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.

River Details

Last Updated 2025-12-17
Discharge Volume 10,354 ACRE-FT
Streamflow 5,220.0 cfs
+110.0 cfs (+2.15%)
Percent of Normal 166.67%
Maximum 68,500.0 cfs
2019-04-10
Seasonal Avg 3,132 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
1180 cfs 3.36 ft 5.36
Payette River Nr Emmett Id
USGS 13249500
1270 cfs 2.52 ft 12.39
Payette River Nr Letha Id
USGS 13250000
1320 cfs 7.91 ft 3.94
Payette River Nr Payette Id
USGS 13251000
1450 cfs 5.11 ft -8.81
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.