Smith River near Crescent City water level

Name: Smith River near Crescent City 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, Smith River, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.27ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 AM PDT (24 min ago)

Flow: 194 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.25 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 09:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 06:39 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The Smith River near Crescent City is at 4.27 ft, in the normal range.

It is 24.73 ft below the flood stage of 29.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.25 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 09:00 PM. In the last month it has stayed between 4.25 ft and 4.27 ft.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 38.40 ftDecember 22, 1964
Forecast peak: 4.26 ftMonday, October 19 at 11:00 PM

Floating and fishing near Smith River near Crescent City

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

Flood stage here is 29.00 ft, 24.73 ft above the current reading. Beyond it, the National Weather Service also defines moderate and major flood stages.

What happens at each level

39.00 ft: Extensive and severe flooding of all areas near the river will occur. Significant damage to roads, bridges and other structures near the river is likely. All low lying areas in and around the river will be flooded. All persons in the area should be prepared to take appropriate action to protect life and property.
37.00 ft: Severe damage could be inflicted upon roads, bridges and other structures. All low lying areas in and around the river are likely to be flooded. Persons in these areas should be prepared to take appropriate actions to protect life and property.
36.00 ft: Extensive flooding is possible along Highway 197 and US Highway 199 in the Gasquet area. Homes and campgrounds in these areas could be threatened, including portions of Jedediah Smith State Park.
35.00 ft: Considerable flooding along Highway 197 and US Highway 199 in the Gasquet area will occur. Low lying homes in these areas are likely to be threatened.
34.00 ft: Significant flooding along Highway 197 and along US Highway 199 in the Gasquet area. Some low-lying homes in these areas may be threatened.
32.00 ft: Significant flooding along Highway 197 in the Gasquet area, with possible flooding of US Highway 199 near Gasquet. Some low-lying homes in these areas may be threatened.
29.00 ft: Flooding along Highway 197 and low-lying roads near Gasquet is likely.
28.00 ft: Flooding along lower portions of Highway 197 with possible flooding of roads near Gasquet.
26.00 ft: Minor flooding along Highway 197 and other low-lying areas near the river.
25.00 ft: Minor flooding of the lowest lying areas near the river may occur.
4.27 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: 10 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	38.40 ft	December 22, 1964
2	35.60 ft	January 22, 1972
3	35.00 ft	March 2, 1972
4	34.30 ft	December 22, 1955
5	33.00 ft	October 29, 1950
6	32.30 ft	January 6, 1966
7	31.90 ft	November 23, 1953
8	31.70 ft	January 18, 1953
9	30.96 ft	January 13, 2024
10	30.80 ft	March 18, 1975

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:35 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 10 hr, 54 min First quarter 67%

Map

Other gauges on the Smith River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Smith River near Fort DickRiver gauge, Smith River	10.99 ft	Below flood stage	±0	7 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Klamath River near KlamathRiver gauge, Klamath River	7.79 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	20 mi
Chetco River near BrookingsRiver gauge, Chetco River	56.3 cfs	Very low	±0	24 mi
Redwood C A OrickRiver gauge	10.14 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	34 mi
Indian Creek near Happy CampRiver gauge, Indian Creek	35.6 cfs	Low	+0.8 cfs	36 mi
Illinois River near KerbyRiver gauge, Illinois River	0.69 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	37 mi
Sucker Creek below Little Grayback Creek, near HollandRiver gauge, Sucker Creek	19.2 cfs	Low	+0.8 cfs	40 mi
Salmon R A Somes BarRiver gauge	159 cfs	Low	+7.0 cfs	42 mi
Klamath R A OrleansRiver gauge	1.99 ft	Below flood stage	+0.02 ft	44 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Smith River near Crescent City?

The official flood stage is 29.00 ft. The level is currently 24.73 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 Smith River near Crescent City today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 03:45 AM PDT, the water level was 4.27 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Smith River near Crescent City rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Smith River near Crescent City normal?

Below flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Smith River near Crescent City?

The highest level on record is 38.40 ft on December 22, 1964.

Is Smith River near Crescent City expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 4.25 ft by Tuesday, October 20 at 09:00 PM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:11532500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 41.79148, -124.07615 (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	2026-10-20 10:45	Provisional
Flow	194 cfs	2026-10-20 10:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Smith River near Crescent City (usgs:11532500). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/smith-river-near-crescent-city

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