Nivelmap
EN

How to read levelsSources and methods

North America

Western Europe

Central Europe

Mediterranean

Nordic countries

Skagit River below Babcock Creek near Newhalem water level

River gauge, Skagit River, Washington, United States

Directions

High for early October

Water level

28.61ft Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours

This gauge last reported 15 days ago. The value may be out of date; check the agency page before you rely on it.

28.0 28.5

History

28.028.529.0ftSep 21Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 528.028.529.0ftSep 21Sep 28Oct 5
283032ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026283032ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
283032ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026283032ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

High water at Skagit River below Babcock Creek near Newhalem: the latest reading is 28.61 ft, above normal for early October. That reading is from Oct 5, 2026, 12:45 PM PDT, so the gauge may be offline or reporting late.

That puts it 0.23 ft above the median of 28.38 ft for early October, based on 5 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 28.47 ft (+0.14 ft).

It is still going down, by 0.07 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 28.54 ft – 28.92 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
28.38 ft0.23 ft above the median for this date
Normal for this date
27.95 ft – 28.81 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (5 years of records)
Same day last year
28.47 ft+0.14 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
28.54 ft – 28.92 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
28.04 ft – 32.18 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

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.10 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

20 Tue 74° 51° – Wind 9 mph
21 Wed 76° 56° – Wind 7 mph
22 Thu 63° 47° – Wind 5 mph
23 Fri 59° 41° – Wind 4 mph
24 Sat 62° 42° – Wind 7 mph
25 Sun 62° 42° – Wind 7 mph
26 Mon 67° 41° – Wind 7 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:08 PM Daylight 10 hr, 34 min Waxing gibbous 69%

Map

Other gauges on the Skagit River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Skagit River at NewhalemRiver gauge, Skagit River 84.37 ft Very high −0.02 ft 2.1 mi
Skagit River below Damnation Creek near MarblemountRiver gauge, Skagit River 7.71 ft High +0.28 ft 3.3 mi
Skagit River above Diobsud Creek near MarblemountRiver gauge, Skagit River 2.32 ft Very low −0.12 ft 9 mi
Skagit River at MarblemountRiver gauge, Skagit River 3.57 ft Normal +0.12 ft 11 mi
Skagit River at CorkindaleRiver gauge, Skagit River 2.14 ft Low −0.04 ft 13 mi
Skagit River at RockportRiver gauge, Skagit River 17.05 ft No reference yet +0.10 ft 18 mi
Skagit River near ConcreteRiver gauge, Skagit River 15.10 ft Low +0.05 ft 24 mi
Skagit River near Sedro WoolleyRiver gauge, Skagit River 23.89 ft Low +0.31 ft 45 mi
Skagit River near Mount VernonRiver gauge, Skagit River 11.16 ft Low +0.31 ft 50 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Bacon Creek below Oakes Creek near MarblemountRiver gauge, Bacon Creek 4.19 ft Normal −0.01 ft 6 mi
Thunder Creek near NewhalemRiver gauge, Thunder Creek 6.88 ft Normal −0.05 ft 10 mi
Cascade River at MarblemountRiver gauge, Cascade River 174 cfs Very low −13.0 cfs 11 mi
Big Beaver Creek near NewhalemRiver gauge, Big Beaver Creek 71.6 cfs Very low −3.3 cfs 13 mi
Baker River above Blum Creek near ConcreteRiver gauge, Baker River 116 cfs Very low −11.0 cfs 13 mi

Questions and answers

How does the Skagit River below Babcock Creek near Newhalem compare with last year?

It is 0.14 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 28.47 ft.

What is a normal level for the Skagit River below Babcock Creek near Newhalem in early October?

The median for early October is 28.38 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 27.95 ft and 28.81 ft, based on 5 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 below Babcock Creek near Newhalem today?

On Oct 5, 2026, 12:45 PM PDT, the water level was 28.61 ft. Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Skagit River below Babcock Creek near Newhalem rising or falling?

Down 0.07 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.07 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Skagit River below Babcock Creek near Newhalem normal?

High for early October. Compared with 5 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:12178600 (Agency page)
Coordinates
48.65914, -121.28903 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 28.61 ft 2026-10-05 19:45 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Skagit River below Babcock Creek near Newhalem (usgs:12178600). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/washington/skagit-river-below-babcock-creek-near-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