Okanogan River near Tonasket water level

Name: Okanogan River near Tonasket water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Okanogan River, Washington, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

3.97ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 03:15 PM PDT (20 min ago)

Flow: 498 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.89 ft by Friday, October 23 at 05:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:21 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Okanogan River near Tonasket is running far below normal at 3.97 ft.

That puts it 0.84 ft below the median of 4.81 ft for mid-October, based on 26 years of readings. It is 11.03 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 4.14 ft (−0.17 ft).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 3.89 ft by Friday, October 23 at 05:00 PM. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 3.90 ft and 4.06 ft.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 4.81 ft0.84 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 4.35 ft – 5.90 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year: 4.14 ft−0.17 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 3.90 ft – 4.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 3.90 ft – 11.69 ft
Highest on record: 22.54 ftJune 2, 1972
Forecast peak: 3.97 ftSunday, October 18 at 11:00 AM

Floating and fishing near Okanogan River near Tonasket

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Flood stage here is 15.00 ft, 11.03 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

22.00 ft: Severe flooding of surrounding cropland is likely. Damage is possible to numerous homes, outbuildings, irrigation systems and roads adjacent to the river. Water will be over Highway 97 near Ellisford and other areas between Tonasket and Oroville.
19.50 ft: Buildings along the river on Brooks Tract Road in East Omak will be flooded and utilities will be impacted.
19.00 ft: Water may be into homes along the river in and near Tonasket. Water will start to come over the banks at Brooks Track Rd in East Omak.
18.00 ft: Water will be approaching homes along the river in and near Tonasket. Major flooding of surrounding cropland is likely. Some homes and buildings adjacent to the river will experience some basement and first floor flooding.
17.00 ft: Low lying fields and pasture land in the flood plain along the Okanogan river valley, from Oroville to Okanogan, will be flooded. Some homes near the river in Okanogan may experience some basement flooding from seepage. Water will be between the railroad and Highway 97 near Ellisford to south Oroville. Water will be against the shoulder of Omak River Road across from Wanacut Creek.
16.00 ft: Pasture land between Rodeo Track Road and Benton Street, on the east side of the river near Omak, will begin to flood. Flooding increases between Tonasket and Oroville.
15.50 ft: Minor flooding in low lying areas and pasture lands is likely from Omak to Tonasket, especially near Ellisford.
15.00 ft: Minor flooding of low lying areas and pasture lands is possible between Highway 7 and 97 from Oroville to Riverside.
3.97 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	22.54 ft	June 2, 1972
2	21.79 ft	May 31, 1948
3	19.71 ft	May 12, 2018
4	18.79 ft	June 19, 1974
5	18.66 ft	June 18, 1950
6	18.31 ft	April 27, 1934
7	18.12 ft	June 14, 1955
8	18.05 ft	May 17, 1949
9	17.80 ft	May 18, 1997
10	17.62 ft	June 11, 2011

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:23 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 41 min First quarter 53%

Map

Other gauges on the Okanogan River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Okanogan River at OrovilleRiver gauge, Okanogan River	6.09 ft	Very low	±0	21 mi
Okanogan River at MalottRiver gauge, Okanogan River	2.80 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	27 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Bonaparte Creek at TonasketRiver gauge, Bonaparte Creek	1.06 ft	Very low	+0.02 ft	4.8 mi
Antoine Creek at Us Highway 97 near EllisfordeRiver gauge, Antoine Creek	0.6 cfs	Low	+0.1 cfs	9 mi
Johnson Creek near RiversideRiver gauge, Johnson Creek	4.1 cfs	Normal	±0	10 mi
Conconully Lake and Salmon LakeLake	2,298.27 ft	Very low		14 mi
North Fork Salmon Creek near ConconullyRiver gauge, North Fork Salmon Creek	4.0 cfs	Low	+0.2 cfs	14 mi
Conconully ReservoirReservoir	2,249.88 ft	Very low		15 mi
West Fork Salmon Creek near ConconullyRiver gauge, West Fork Salmon Creek	5.9 cfs	Low	−0.2 cfs	15 mi
Salmon Creek above Diversion near OkanoganRiver gauge, Salmon Creek	4.7 cfs	Normal	−0.4 cfs	17 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Okanogan River near Tonasket compare with last year?

It is 0.17 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 4.14 ft.

What is flood stage for the Okanogan River near Tonasket?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 11.03 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Okanogan River near Tonasket in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 4.81 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 4.35 ft and 5.90 ft, based on 26 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Okanogan River near Tonasket today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 03:15 PM PDT, the water level was 3.97 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Okanogan River near Tonasket rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.06 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Okanogan River near Tonasket normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12445000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.63238, -119.46172 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	3.97 ft	2026-10-18 22:15	Provisional
Flow	498 cfs	2026-10-18 22:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Okanogan River near Tonasket (usgs:12445000). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/okanogan-river-near-tonasket

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer