Skagit River at Newhalem water level

Name: Skagit River at Newhalem 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, Skagit River, Washington, United States

Directions

High for mid-October

Water level

83.71ft Down 0.65 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 04:00 PM PDT (29 min ago)

Flow: 3,320 cfs
Water temperature: 52 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

High water at Skagit River at Newhalem: the latest reading is 83.71 ft, above normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.61 ft above the median of 83.10 ft for mid-October, based on 31 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 83.65 ft (+0.06 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.65 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 83.53 ft – 84.44 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest. The sensor also reports a water temperature of 52 °F.

Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 83.10 ft0.61 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date: 82.13 ft – 84.05 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (31 years of records)
Same day last year: 83.65 ft+0.06 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 83.53 ft – 84.44 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 82.92 ft – 91.07 ft

Paddling and fishing conditions

Above-normal flows push fish to the edges and make wading risky. Wait for the river to drop and clear.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 62° 47° 0.10 in, 77% Wind 11 mph

18 Sun 61° 45° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 62° 45° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 66° 44° – Wind 5 mph

21 Wed 70° 47° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 63° 48° – Wind 4 mph

23 Fri 56° 45° – Wind 4 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:13 PM Daylight 10 hr, 44 min First quarter 44%

Map

Other gauges on the Skagit River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Skagit River below Babcock Creek near NewhalemRiver gauge, Skagit River	28.61 ft	High	−0.07 ft	2.1 mi
Skagit River below Damnation Creek near MarblemountRiver gauge, Skagit River	7.71 ft	High	+0.28 ft	5.4 mi
Skagit River above Diobsud Creek near MarblemountRiver gauge, Skagit River	2.32 ft	Very low	−0.12 ft	11 mi
Skagit River at MarblemountRiver gauge, Skagit River	3.39 ft	Normal	−0.39 ft	13 mi
Skagit River at CorkindaleRiver gauge, Skagit River	2.14 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	15 mi
Skagit River at RockportRiver gauge, Skagit River	17.21 ft	No reference yet	−0.23 ft	21 mi
Skagit River near ConcreteRiver gauge, Skagit River	15.36 ft	Low	−0.14 ft	26 mi
Skagit River near Sedro WoolleyRiver gauge, Skagit River	23.62 ft	Low	−0.07 ft	47 mi
Skagit River near Mount VernonRiver gauge, Skagit River	10.97 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	52 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Thunder Creek near NewhalemRiver gauge, Thunder Creek	7.63 ft	High	+0.70 ft	8 mi
Bacon Creek below Oakes Creek near MarblemountRiver gauge, Bacon Creek	4.26 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	8 mi
Big Beaver Creek near NewhalemRiver gauge, Big Beaver Creek	78.3 cfs	Very low	+2.3 cfs	11 mi
Ruby Creek below Panther Creek near NewhalemRiver gauge, Ruby Creek	67.9 cfs	Very low	+2.7 cfs	13 mi
Cascade River at MarblemountRiver gauge, Cascade River	255 cfs	Low	+85.0 cfs	13 mi
Baker River above Blum Creek near ConcreteRiver gauge, Baker River	163 cfs	Low	+6.0 cfs	15 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Skagit River at Newhalem compare with last year?

It is 0.06 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 83.65 ft.

What is a normal level for the Skagit River at Newhalem in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 83.10 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 82.13 ft and 84.05 ft, based on 31 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 Skagit River at Newhalem today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 04:00 PM PDT, the water level was 83.71 ft. Down 0.65 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Skagit River at Newhalem rising or falling?

Down 0.65 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.09 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Skagit River at Newhalem normal?

High for mid-October. Compared with 31 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:12178000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.67179, -121.24623 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
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	83.71 ft	2026-10-17 23:00	Provisional
Flow	3,320 cfs	2026-10-17 23:00	Provisional
Water temperature	52 °F	2026-10-17 23:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Skagit River at Newhalem (usgs:12178000). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/skagit-river-at-newhalem

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