Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe water level

Name: Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe 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, Upper Truckee River, California, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

3.14ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 PM PDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 6.8 cfs
Water temperature: 48 °F

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe reads 3.14 ft, a normal level.

It is 7.36 ft below the flood stage of 10.50 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 3.11 ft and 3.23 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 48 °F.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 13.09 ftDecember 31, 2005

What the stage means on the water

A normal level is usually prime time for floating and wade fishing, as long as the weather holds upstream.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 10.50 ft, still 7.36 ft away.

What happens at each level

13.50 ft: Disastrous flooding all along Upper Truckee River with major damage to homes, businesses, roads and bridges. Similar to flood of Jan. 2, 1997. Approximately 5500 cfs with about a 1 in 75 chance of occurring any year.
12.50 ft: Major flooding along Upper Truckee River from Meyers to South Lake Tahoe with significant damage to roads, bridges, homes and businesses. Approx. 3000 cfs. About a 1 in 20 chance of occurring any year.
11.50 ft: Moderate flooding along Upper Truckee River in Meyers and South Lake Tahoe. About 2100 cfs. About a 1 in 10 chance of occurring any year.
10.50 ft: Flood Stage, with minor flooding along Upper Truckee River. About 1450 cfs. About a 1 in 5 chance of occurring any year.
9.50 ft: Monitor Stage, about 1000 cfs. No flooding. About a 1 in 3 chance of occurring any year.
3.14 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	13.09 ft	December 31, 2005
2	12.89 ft	March 8, 1986
3	12.78 ft	February 9, 2017
4	11.41 ft	April 7, 2018
5	11.05 ft	December 31, 2022
6	10.98 ft	January 9, 2017
7	10.94 ft	May 16, 1996
8	10.18 ft	May 1, 1995
9	9.18 ft	May 23, 2023

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:14 PM Daylight 10 hr, 58 min Waxing gibbous 74%

Map

Other gauges on the Upper Truckee River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Upper Truckee River at Highway 50 above MeyersRiver gauge, Upper Truckee River	4.72 ft	Below flood stage	−0.37 ft	5.5 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Trout Creek near Tahoe ValleyRiver gauge, Trout Creek	5.39 ft	Below flood stage	±0	1.0 mi
General Creek near Meeks BayRiver gauge, General Creek	0.91 ft	Below flood stage	±0	11 mi
Glenbrook Creek at GlenbrookRiver gauge, Glenbrook Creek	0.2 cfs	Low	±0	12 mi
West Fork Carson River at WoodfordsRiver gauge, West Fork Carson River	9.58 ft	Below flood stage	±0	14 mi
Blackwood Creek near Tahoe CityRiver gauge, Blackwood Creek	7.60 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
East Fork Carson River near GardnervilleRiver gauge, East Fork Carson River	9.47 ft	Below flood stage	±0	16 mi
Clear Creek near Carson CityRiver gauge, Clear Creek	1.8 cfs	Low	±0	17 mi
Ward Creek at Highway 89 near Tahoe PinesRiver gauge, Ward Creek	5.12 ft	Below flood stage	−0.01 ft	17 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe?

The official flood stage is 10.50 ft. The level is currently 7.36 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 Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:15 PM PDT, the water level was 3.14 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe?

The highest level on record is 13.09 ft on December 31, 2005.

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:10336610 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 38.92241, -119.99157 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NGVD29
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	3.14 ft	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional
Flow	6.8 cfs	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional
Water temperature	48 °F	2026-10-21 03:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe (usgs:10336610). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/california/upper-truckee-river-at-south-lake-tahoe

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