Napa River near Napa water level
River gauge, Napa River, California, United States
Right now
Below flood stage
Water level
- Flow
- 0.3 cfs
History
The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.21 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. Issued Tuesday, October 20 at 07:21 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.
What this means
Water levels are unremarkable at Napa River near Napa, where the gauge shows 1.96 ft.
It is 23.04 ft below the flood stage of 25.00 ft.
It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.21 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM. The 30-day range is 1.94 ft – 1.96 ft.
Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Highest on record
- 30.50 ftMarch 9, 1995
- Forecast peak
- 2.21 ftFriday, October 23 at 01:00 AM
Paddling and fishing conditions
Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.
For reference, flood stage is 25.00 ft.
What happens at each level
- 32.00 ft
- Disastrous flooding. Widespread flooding occurs in the entire Napa Valley, with transportation impossible. Disastrous damage to homes and businesses in the Napa Valley, especially in the City of Napa.
- 30.20 ft
- FLOOD OF RECORD. 2/18/86 Flood of record 30.20 feet (37,100 cfs).
- 30.00 ft
- In the City of Napa, flooding in the south oxbow area expands south towards Tulocay Creek and Imola Avenue begins to flood on both sides of the river. Major flooding continues in the Napa Valley, with major damage to homes and businesses, especially in Napa. Transportation impossible in the Napa Valley. 20,000 acres possibly flooded in the Napa Valley. Between 5,000 and 7,000 evacuations occurred in the 2/18/86 record flood, 37,000 cfs, 30.20 feet.
- 29.00 ft
- In the City of Napa, the Soscol corridor between the bypass and Lakepark in inundated, and the Lakepark area begins to flood and flow begins to leave the Napa River at Riverside Drive.
- 28.00 ft
- Major Flood Stage. In the City of Napa, significant flooding occurs near Lincoln Avenue with some secondary roads inundated. Major flooding of towns within the reach of the gage, especially in Napa. Inundation of agricultural land and major damage from bank erosion and sediment deposition in Napa Valley. Transportation difficult throughout the Napa Valley. The 1/1/1997 flood measured 28.07 feet and cut off east-west travel except at Highway 29 over the Napa River.
- 27.00 ft
- In the City of Napa, moderate flooding begins on the east side of Napa River near Milliken Creek Inn.
- 26.00 ft
- Moderate Flood Stage. In the City of Napa, flow begins to leave the Napa River channel in the South Coombs area (north of Imola Avenue) and the south oxbow (near Taylor Street). Crop losses and erosion damage become serious. Moderate flood damage in lower parts of urban areas along the reach. Transportation in the Napa Valley becoming difficult. The flood of 2/3/1998 measured 26.72 feet.
- 25.00 ft
- Flood Stage. Flooding of lowest parts of towns in reach begins. Inundation of lowest agricultural land in Napa Valley. Some secondary roads are inundated. Moderate damage from bank erosion and sediment deposition throughout the reach.
- 24.00 ft
- In the City of Napa, flow begins to leave the Napa River channel at Riverpointe (north of Lincoln Avenue).
- 22.00 ft
- Action Stage. In the City of Napa, the Napa River Dry Bypass is fully inundated and flow begins to cross McKinstry Street.
- 20.00 ft
- Erosion of lowest agricultural areas along river begins.
- 1.96 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: 7 %.
| Rank | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30.50 ft | March 9, 1995 |
| 2 | 30.20 ft | February 18, 1986 |
| 3 | 29.85 ft | December 31, 2005 |
| 4 | 28.07 ft | January 1, 1997 |
| 5 | 27.59 ft | January 31, 1963 |
| 6 | 26.98 ft | January 26, 1995 |
| 7 | 26.81 ft | January 8, 2017 |
| 8 | 26.72 ft | February 3, 1998 |
| 9 | 26.47 ft | February 27, 2019 |
| 10 | 26.47 ft | January 21, 1967 |
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the Napa River
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa River near St HelenaRiver gauge, Napa River | 0.47 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 13 mi |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoma C A Agua CalienteRiver gauge | 0.9 cfs | Normal | −0.2 cfs | 11 mi |
| Sonoma Creek A KenwoodRiver gauge | 0.0 cfs | Low | ±0 | 14 mi |
| Lake Berryessa and MonticelloLake | 428.11 ft | High | 15 mi | |
| Putah Creek near WintersRiver gauge, Putah Creek | 119 cfs | Normal | −9.0 cfs | 16 mi |
| Copeland C A Rohnert ParkRiver gauge | 1.31 ft | Below flood stage | −0.02 ft | 22 mi |
| Matanzas C A Santa RosaRiver gauge | 155.16 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 22 mi |
| Santa Rosa C A Santa RosaRiver gauge | 23.25 ft | Below flood stage | +0.02 ft | 23 mi |
| Colgan Creek near Santa RosaRiver gauge, Colgan Creek | 97.69 ft | Below flood stage | ±0 | 23 mi |
Questions and answers
What is flood stage for the Napa River near Napa?
The official flood stage is 25.00 ft. The level is currently 23.04 ft below it.
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 Napa River near Napa today?
On Oct 20, 2026, 03:00 PM PDT, the water level was 1.96 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Napa River near Napa rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Napa River near Napa normal?
Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Napa River near Napa?
The highest level on record is 30.50 ft on March 9, 1995.
Is Napa River near Napa expected to rise?
The forecast expects the river to rise to 2.21 ft by Friday, October 23 at 01:00 AM.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:11458000(Agency page)- Coordinates
38.36821, -122.30327(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 | 1.96 ft | 2026-10-20 22:00 | Provisional |
| Flow | 0.3 cfs | 2026-10-20 22:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Napa River near Napa (usgs:11458000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/napa-river-near-napa
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