John Day River at McDonald Ferry water level

Name: John Day River at McDonald Ferry 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, John Day River, Oregon, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Water level

2.12ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 09:45 PM PDT (48 min ago)

Flow: 190 cfs
Water temperature: 56 °F

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The John Day River at McDonald Ferry is running below normal at 2.12 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 2.11 ft and 2.12 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that. The water temperature at the gauge is 56 °F.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Floating and fishing near John Day River at McDonald Ferry

Low water exposes gravel bars that make good wading access, but some boat ramps may be left high and dry.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 65° 41° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 69° 46° – Wind 5 mph

20 Tue 67° 50° – Wind 11 mph

21 Wed 70° 49° – Wind 5 mph

22 Thu 72° 51° – Wind 17 mph

23 Fri 62° 42° – Wind 15 mph

24 Sat 62° 43° – Wind 6 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:24 AM Sunset 06:10 PM Daylight 10 hr, 47 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the John Day River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
John Day River at Blue Mountain Hot Springs near Prairie CityRiver gauge, John Day River	23.7 cfs	Very low	±0	123 mi
John Day River near John DayRiver gauge, John Day River	3.54 ft	Below flood stage	±0	109 mi
John Day River at Service CreekRiver gauge, John Day River	1.97 ft	Below flood stage	±0	58 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Deschutes River at Moody, near BiggsRiver gauge, Deschutes River	2.88 ft	Below flood stage	+0.03 ft	24 mi
Columbia River at The DallesRiver gauge, Columbia River	77,500 cfs	Low	+3,200 cfs	38 mi
Klickitat River near PittRiver gauge, Klickitat River	3.92 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	40 mi
White River below Tygh ValleyRiver gauge, White River	97.3 cfs	Very low	−1.9 cfs	41 mi
Willow Creek at Morgan Street, at HeppnerRiver gauge, Willow Creek	1.8 cfs	Low	±0	44 mi

Questions and answers

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 John Day River at McDonald Ferry today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 09:45 PM PDT, the water level was 2.12 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is John Day River at McDonald Ferry rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of John Day River at McDonald Ferry normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:14048000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 45.58763, -120.40949 (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	2.12 ft	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional
Flow	190 cfs	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional
Water temperature	56 °F	2026-10-19 04:45	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: John Day River at McDonald Ferry (usgs:14048000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/oregon/john-day-river-at-mcdonald-ferry

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