Big Sur River near Big Sur water level

Name: Big Sur River near Big Sur 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, Big Sur River, California, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

4.27ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 11:00 AM PDT (17 min ago)

Flow: 16.8 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.66 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 09:00 PM. Issued Wednesday, October 21 at 07:11 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Big Sur River near Big Sur is at 4.27 ft, in the normal range for late October.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.66 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 09:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 4.22 ft and 4.27 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 14.30 ftJanuary 5, 1978
Forecast peak: 4.66 ftWednesday, October 21 at 09:00 PM

About this gauge

Location: Monterey County
Elevation above sea level: 58.1 ft

Floating and fishing near Big Sur River near Big Sur

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.30 ft	January 5, 1978
2	11.71 ft	March 10, 1995
3	11.70 ft	February 3, 1998
4	11.56 ft	April 2, 1958
5	11.23 ft	February 1, 1963
6	11.22 ft	January 10, 1995
7	11.05 ft	December 23, 1955
8	10.60 ft	January 1, 1997
9	10.30 ft	December 6, 1966

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

21 Wed 62° 54° 1.73 in, 56% Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 59° 54° 0.22 in, 65% Wind 11 mph

23 Fri 67° 51° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 71° 55° – Wind 6 mph

25 Sun 73° 58° – Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 75° 59° – Wind 6 mph

27 Tue 76° 61° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:20 AM Sunset 06:25 PM Daylight 11 hr, 4 min Waxing gibbous 79%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Carmel R A Robles Del RioRiver gauge	2.05 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	16 mi
Arroyo Seco near GreenfieldRiver gauge, Arroyo Seco	6.5 cfs	Normal	+0.3 cfs	16 mi
Carmel River near CarmelRiver gauge, Carmel River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	21 mi
Salinas River near ChualarRiver gauge, Salinas River	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	25 mi
Arroyo Seco near SoledadRiver gauge, Arroyo Seco	1.7 cfs	Low	±0	25 mi
Salinas River near SpreckelsRiver gauge, Salinas River	2.81 ft	Below flood stage	±0	27 mi
Salinas R A SoledadRiver gauge	8.87 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	28 mi
Reclamation Ditch near SalinasCanal gauge, Reclamation Ditch	0.3 cfs	Very low	±0	32 mi

Questions and answers

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.

Where is the Big Sur River near Big Sur gauge?

The gauge is in Monterey County, California. It sits 58.1 ft above sea level.

What is the water level of Big Sur River near Big Sur today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 11:00 AM PDT, the water level was 4.27 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Big Sur River near Big Sur rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Big Sur River near Big Sur normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Big Sur River near Big Sur?

The highest level on record is 14.30 ft on January 5, 1978.

Is Big Sur River near Big Sur expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 4.66 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 09:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11143000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 36.24576, -121.77323 (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	4.27 ft	2026-10-21 18:00	Provisional
Flow	16.8 cfs	2026-10-21 18:00	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Big Sur River near Big Sur (usgs:11143000). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/big-sur-river-near-big-sur

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