Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins water level

Name: Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins 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, Cache La Poudre River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

0.86ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 AM MDT (36 min ago)

Flow: 29.6 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Minor flood stage

What this means

The gauge at Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins reads 0.86 ft, a normal level.

It is 9.14 ft below the flood stage of 10.00 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 0.62 ft and 0.92 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.56 ftSeptember 13, 2013

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 10.00 ft, still 9.14 ft away.

What happens at each level

12.00 ft: College Avenue (U.S. Highway 287) is overtopped north of the Cache La Poudre River Bridge and the flow is directed along East Vine past Redwood Street. Water inundates businesses along East Prospect Road and East Mulberry Street.
11.80 ft: There is a 2 percent chance in any given year of reaching a flood of this magnitude.
10.50 ft: Water inundates businesses along the east side of North College Avenue, East Vine Drive, and East Lincoln Avenue. Structures flood on the south side of East Mulberry Street along the river. The river also begins to impact structures along East Prospect Road.
8.50 ft: The Cache La Poudre River is out of its banks in and near Fort Collins. Water will flow onto bike paths in low lying areas.
0.86 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: < 5 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.56 ft	September 13, 2013
2	10.46 ft	April 30, 1999
3	9.54 ft	May 31, 2014
4	9.27 ft	June 12, 2010
5	8.49 ft	June 12, 2015
6	7.88 ft	June 9, 2011
7	7.22 ft	June 9, 1997
8	7.21 ft	June 12, 2016
9	7.05 ft	May 27, 2017
10	6.80 ft	May 23, 2021

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.

18 Sun 76° 38° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 67° 40° – Wind 7 mph

20 Tue 73° 41° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 75° 58° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 73° 58° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 74° 59° – Wind 23 mph

24 Sat 63° 50° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:16 AM Sunset 06:16 PM Daylight 10 hr, 59 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Cache La Poudre River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cache La Poudre River above Boxelder Creek near TimnathRiver gauge, Cache La Poudre River	14.2 cfs	Normal	−4.2 cfs	4.0 mi
Cache La Poudre River above N 11th Ave at GreeleyRiver gauge, Cache La Poudre River	2.89 ft	No reference yet	−0.01 ft	22 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Horsetooth ReservoirReservoir	5,412.01 ft	Very high		5.4 mi
Big Thompson River at LovelandRiver gauge, Big Thompson River	0.62 ft	Below flood stage	−0.25 ft	14 mi
North Fork Cache La Poudre River at LivermoreRiver gauge, North Fork Cache La Poudre River	20.5 cfs	High	±0	17 mi
Flatiron ReservoirReservoir	5,467.74 ft	Normal		18 mi
Pinewood Reservoir and RattlesnakeReservoir	6,561.57 ft	Low		19 mi
Carter Lake ReservoirReservoir	5,709.31 ft	Normal		20 mi
North Fork Cache La Poudre River below Halligan Reservoir near Va DaleRiver gauge, North Fork Cache La Poudre River	2.00 ft	Below flood stage	±0	24 mi
North Fork Cache La Poudre River above Halligan Reservoir near Va DaleRiver gauge, North Fork Cache La Poudre River	8.5 cfs	Very low	−0.3 cfs	26 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins?

The official flood stage is 10.00 ft. The level is currently 9.14 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 Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 AM MDT, the water level was 0.86 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins?

The highest level on record is 11.56 ft on September 13, 2013.

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:06752260 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.58808, -105.06922 (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	0.86 ft	2026-10-19 16:15	Provisional
Flow	29.6 cfs	2026-10-19 16:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Cache La Poudre River at Fort Collins (usgs:06752260). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/cache-la-poudre-river-at-fort-collins

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