Advertisement
River report

Sacramento River Flow Today

As of November 14, 2026 at 10:30 PM, the Sacramento River is flowing at 116,000 cfs at the Sacramento River A Rio Vista Ca gauge, CA — 130% of normal for the date. 10 of 12 USGS gauges reported in the last 3 days; flows range from 293 to 116,000 cfs. ❤ Favorite

USGS gauges
12 10 reporting · upstream → down
Sacramento River A Delta Ca: 90% of normalSacramento River A Keswick Ca: 106% of normalSacramento River Above Bend Bridge Near Red Bluff Ca: 95% of normalSacramento River A Colusa Ca: 95% of normalSacramento River Below Wilkins Slough Near Grimes Ca: 98% of normalSacramento River Above Delta Cross Channel Ca: 25% of normalSacramento River A Verona Ca: 87% of normalSacramento River Below Georgiana Slough Ca: 128% of normalSacramento River A Freeport Ca: 43% of normalSacramento River A Rio Vista Ca: 130% of normal
Typical gauge
95% of normal for the date
0%normal200%
Paddle runs
7 7 in range now
7 in range
Updated
Nov 14, 10:30 PM
Live river map

Sacramento River map

Open full map →
Premium

See the Sacramento River on a live map

Every gauge, dam and paddle run on the river, one tap each:

  • Gauges now — which reaches are high or low
  • Dams & paddle runs — storage and what’s in range
  • Rain — past 24 hrs and the 72-hr forecast, press play

✓ Free for 7 days  ·  ✓ Cancel anytime

River briefing · Nov 15, 2026

Sacramento River conditions today

Where the river is running versus normal, what’s rising or dropping, and what it means for a trip — built from the live USGS readings below.

At Sacramento River A Rio Vista Ca, the Sacramento River is running 116,000 cfs — 130% of normal. Along the river, 5 of 10 reporting gauges are near normal (the typical gauge is at 95% of normal).

In the last 24 hours the river is dropping at Sacramento River A Freeport Ca (-43%).

Highest against normal: Sacramento River A Rio Vista Ca at 130%. Lowest: Delta Cross Channel Ca at 25%.

Paddlers: 7 of 7 runs on the Sacramento River with a live range are in range.

Headwaters to mouth

How the Sacramento River compares to normal

Every reporting gauge from the top of the river to the bottom: bar length is today’s flow, colour is percent of normal for the date.

Flow along the river, upstream to downstream

  1. Sacramento River A Delta Ca1,143 ft 293 cfs90%
  2. Sacramento River A Keswick Ca494 ft 5,170 cfs106%
  3. Red Bluff Ca295 ft 6,640 cfs95%
  4. Sacramento River A Colusa Ca36 ft 5,910 cfs95%
  5. Grimes Ca23 ft 5,420 cfs98%
  6. Delta Cross Channel Ca20 ft 7,390 cfs25%
  7. Sacramento River A Verona Ca18 ft 8,720 cfs87%
  8. Georgiana Slough Ca15 ft 9,130 cfs128%
  9. Sacramento River A Freeport Ca7 ft 11,200 cfs43%
  10. Sacramento River A Rio Vista Ca2 ft 116,000 cfs130%

Bar length uses a square-root scale so small headwater flows stay visible next to big downstream ones. Colour: <50% 50–90 90–110 110–150 150%+ of normal.

Where every gauge sits

One dot per Sacramento River streamgauge, placed by its own percent of normal. The line is the typical gauge (95%).

Typical gauge 95%
0%50%100% · normal150%200%+
Much below normal2Below normal1Near normal5Above normal2Much above normal0

Sacramento River flow report

12 gauges
Streamgage Streamflow % of normal 24h Gage height To flood stage Elevation
Sacramento River A Delta Ca CA
Nov 14, 11:30 PM · USGS 11342000
293 cfs 90% +1% 4.09 ft · 1,143 ft
Sacramento River A Keswick Ca CA
Nov 15, 12:00 AM · USGS 11370500
5,170 cfs 106% 0% 9.57 ft · 494 ft
Sacramento River Above Bend Bridge Near Red Bluff Ca CA
Nov 14, 10:45 PM · USGS 11377100
6,640 cfs 95% -2% 1.91 ft 25.1 ft below 295 ft
Sacramento River A Colusa Ca CA
Nov 14, 10:45 PM · USGS 11389500
5,910 cfs 95% +4% 41.12 ft 28.9 ft below 36 ft
Sacramento River Below Wilkins Slough Near Grimes Ca CA
Nov 14, 11:15 PM · USGS 11390500
5,420 cfs 98% +2% 29.14 ft 23.6 ft below 23 ft
Sacramento River Above Delta Cross Channel Ca CA
Nov 14, 11:30 PM · USGS 11447890
7,390 cfs 25% · 6.29 ft · 20 ft
Sacramento River A Verona Ca CA
Nov 14, 10:45 PM · USGS 11425500
8,720 cfs 87% +1% 11.89 ft 29.4 ft below 18 ft
Sacramento River Below Georgiana Slough Ca CA
Nov 14, 11:30 PM · USGS 11447905
9,130 cfs 128% · 6.09 ft · 15 ft
Sacramento River A Freeport Ca CA
Nov 14, 11:15 PM · USGS 11447650
11,200 cfs 43% -43% 104.81 ft · 7 ft
Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel Near Rio Vista CA
Last reported Apr 22 · USGS 11455335
9,620 cfs · · 23.32 ft · 7 ft
Sacramento River Deep Water Ship Channel Near Freeport CA
Last reported Sep 30 · USGS 11455095
4,930 cfs · · 7.70 ft · 5 ft
Sacramento River A Rio Vista Ca CA
Nov 14, 10:30 PM · USGS 11455420
116,000 cfs 130% · 14.43 ft · 2 ft

USGS provisional data. Readings are in each gauge’s local time; gauges silent for more than 3 days are marked “Last reported”. Tap any gauge for its hydrograph, forecast and history.

Whitewater & paddle

Paddle runs on the Sacramento River

7 of 7 runs are in range right now. Each run is checked against its runnable range using the gauge it is keyed to (or the nearest gauge on this river).

RunStatusFlow nowRunnable rangeClass
Paynes Creek
Gauge: Red Bluff Ca
In range 6,640 cfs 3,378–18,219 cfs typical III
Paynes Creek
Gauge: Red Bluff Ca
In range 6,640 cfs 3,378–18,219 cfs typical ·
Sacramento River
Gauge: Red Bluff Ca
In range 6,640 cfs 3,378–18,219 cfs typical ·
Sacramento River
Gauge: Red Bluff Ca
In range 6,640 cfs 3,378–18,219 cfs typical II
Sacramento River
Gauge: Red Bluff Ca
In range 6,640 cfs 3,378–18,219 cfs typical II
Sacramento River
Gauge: Red Bluff Ca
In range 6,640 cfs 3,378–18,219 cfs typical III–IV
Sacramento River
Gauge: Red Bluff Ca
In range 6,640 cfs 3,378–18,219 cfs typical III–IV
History

Sacramento River streamflow over time

Daily total flow across every monitored gauge on the river (this total last updated 2026-11-02; the live gauge readings above are current).

Maximum streamflow by year

About this river

Sacramento River

The Sacramento River is a 445-mile-long river that flows through Northern California, starting from the Klamath Mountains and ending at the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It has played a significant role in California's history, serving as a major transportation route during the Gold Rush era. The river's hydrology is heavily influenced by snowmelt and rainfall, with several dams and reservoirs built for flood control and water storage purposes. These include the Shasta Dam, which forms the largest reservoir in California. The river also provides water for agricultural purposes in the Sacramento Valley, known for its rice fields and orchards. Recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping are popular along the river, with several parks and wildlife refuges located along its banks.

Around the river

Fishing near the Sacramento River

FAQ

About the Sacramento River

How is the Sacramento River flowing right now?

As of November 14, 2026, the Sacramento River is flowing at 116,000 cfs, CA, about 130% of normal for the date. Across its 12 USGS gauges, current flows range from 293 to 116,000 cfs. Every gauge’s live reading is in the table above.

Is the Sacramento River running high or low?

The typical gauge on the Sacramento River is at 95% of normal for the date. Above 100% means higher than the historical average for this calendar day; below 100% means lower. The profile above shows which reaches are high or low.

What is flood stage on the Sacramento River?

The National Weather Service sets flood stages for Red Bluff Ca (27.0 ft), Sacramento River A Colusa Ca (70.0 ft), Grimes Ca (52.7 ft), Sacramento River A Verona Ca (41.3 ft), . The table shows how far each gauge is below its flood stage right now.

Is the Sacramento River runnable for paddling today?

7 of 7 paddle runs are in range right now. Each run in the paddle table is checked against its runnable range using its gauge's live flow.

Where does the data come from?

Discharge and gage height are from the USGS National Water Information System; flood stages from the National Weather Service. The history chart sums every monitored gauge on the river.

Can I get alerts for a gauge?

Yes — open any gauge from the table, favorite it in the Snoflo app and set a flow threshold.

More river levels

Rivers in California

Live · ENSO Watch

A record-breaking El Niño is rewriting this winter.

See how the strongest El Niño ever measured is likely to tilt snowpack, river flows and storm tracks across the US — explained for anyone, with the full data for researchers.

—Niño 3.4 anomaly
—Oceanic Niño Index
—Current phase