Yampa River below Craig water level

Name: Yampa River below Craig 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, Yampa River, Colorado, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

1.28ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 04:15 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 221 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.15 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 09:00 PM. Issued Monday, October 19 at 09:15 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

The gauge at Yampa River below Craig reads 1.28 ft, a normal level.

It is 9.52 ft below the flood stage of 10.80 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.15 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 09:00 PM. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.28 ft and 1.64 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 11.36 ftJune 8, 2011
Forecast peak: 1.33 ftSaturday, October 24 at 06:00 PM

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 10.80 ft, still 9.52 ft away.

What happens at each level

18.00 ft: Some roads along and over the Yampa River are impassable. Portions of the Craig Moffat County Airport are flooded.
16.00 ft: Water is near the bottom of bridges along the Yampa River, especially on South Ranney Street affecting access to the airport. Portions of the railroad along the river are beginning to flood. Water is flowing over the runaways at Craig Moffat County Airport.
13.50 ft: Major flooding is occurring along the Yampa causing major erosion of agricultural land and river banks. Water is cutting across oxbows in the river and oxbow lakes are flooding. Homes and buildings along the river are beginning to flood.
12.50 ft: Moderate flooding is occurring along the Yampa River especially along agricultural land. Water is flowing through retention ponds south of Craig. Water is cutting across the oxbow bends in the river and flowing through oxbow lakes. Homes near the oxbow lakes are beginning to flood.
11.50 ft: Minor flooding is occurring along the Yampa River. Water is flowing onto the Craig Golf Course by the Craig Moffat County Airport. Water is nearing some homes and buildings. Water is nearing the Craig Water Plant at the end of Water Plant Road.
10.00 ft: Minor flooding of agricultural land along the Yampa River is occurring. River banks have become unstable and dangerous to walk along.
9.00 ft: The Yampa River reaches bankfull in some locations in the vicinity of Craig. Some minor flooding of low-lying agricultural and pastoral land is occurring.
1.28 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	11.36 ft	June 8, 2011
2	10.21 ft	May 23, 2008
3	9.90 ft	June 9, 2010
4	9.71 ft	May 17, 2023
5	9.60 ft	May 31, 2014
6	9.48 ft	June 22, 2019
7	9.35 ft	May 25, 2005
8	9.25 ft	May 24, 2006
9	8.88 ft	May 22, 2009
10	8.68 ft	May 16, 2016

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 63° 38° – Wind 11 mph

20 Tue 62° 38° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 69° 40° – Wind 16 mph

22 Thu 63° 50° 0.02 in, 63% Wind 12 mph

23 Fri 62° 46° 0.04 in, 55% Wind 26 mph

24 Sat 47° 39° 0.01 in, 34% Wind 8 mph

25 Sun 56° 34° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:26 PM Daylight 11 hr First quarter 63%

Map

Other gauges on the Yampa River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Yampa River above Stagecoach ReservoirRiver gauge, Yampa River	2.15 ft	Below flood stage	±0	41 mi
Yampa River below Stagecoach ReservoirRiver gauge, Yampa River	2.39 ft	Below flood stage	±0	43 mi
Yampa River at Steamboat SpringsRiver gauge, Yampa River	1.24 ft	Below flood stage	−0.02 ft	41 mi
Yampa River above Elkhead Creek near HaydenRiver gauge, Yampa River	241 cfs	Normal	−14.0 cfs	12 mi
Yampa River near MaybellRiver gauge, Yampa River	2.01 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	22 mi
Yampa River at Deerlodge ParkRiver gauge, Yampa River	2.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.26 ft	48 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elkhead Creek near CraigRiver gauge, Elkhead Creek	2.55 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	10 mi
Elkhead Creek above Long Gulch, near HaydenRiver gauge, Elkhead Creek	2.73 ft	Below flood stage	−0.04 ft	17 mi
White River near MeekerRiver gauge, White River	2.56 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	34 mi
White River above Coal Creek near MeekerRiver gauge, White River	251 cfs	Low	−12.0 cfs	35 mi
Elk River near MilnerRiver gauge, Elk River	1.76 ft	Below flood stage	−0.06 ft	35 mi
Slater Fork near SlaterRiver gauge, Slater Fork	16.8 cfs	Normal	−2.3 cfs	37 mi
Little Snake River near DixonRiver gauge, Little Snake River	2.79 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	38 mi
Little Snake River above Savery Cr, near SaveryRiver gauge, Little Snake River	4.07 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	38 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Yampa River below Craig?

The official flood stage is 10.80 ft. The level is currently 9.52 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 Yampa River below Craig today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 04:15 PM MDT, the water level was 1.28 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Yampa River below Craig rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Yampa River below Craig normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Yampa River below Craig?

The highest level on record is 11.36 ft on June 8, 2011.

Is Yampa River below Craig expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to fall to 1.15 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:09247600 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 40.48079, -107.61427 (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	1.28 ft	2026-10-19 22:15	Provisional
Flow	221 cfs	2026-10-19 22:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Yampa River below Craig (usgs:09247600). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/yampa-river-below-craig

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