Lake Fork San Miguel River above Trout Lake near Ophir water level

Name: Lake Fork San Miguel River above Trout Lake near Ophir 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, Lake Fork San Miguel River, Colorado, United States

Directions

High for late October

Water level

2.60ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 17.4 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Lake Fork San Miguel River above Trout Lake near Ophir is above normal at 2.60 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 2.60 ft and 2.67 ft.

That stands out in fall, when many rivers are usually near their lowest.

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

Floating and fishing near Lake Fork San Miguel River above Trout Lake near Ophir

Experienced paddlers may enjoy higher water, but many outfitters stop rentals once a river runs this high.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 51° 35° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 53° 39° 0.26 in, 55% Wind 18 mph

22 Thu 48° 38° 2.29 in, 99% Wind 16 mph

23 Fri 42° 31° 0.18 in, 99% Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 44° 30° 0.65 in, 60% Wind 10 mph

25 Sun 40° 25° 0.08 in, 60% Wind 5 mph

26 Mon 44° 23° 0.01 in Wind 5 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:26 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 11 hr, 1 min Waxing gibbous 76%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
South Fork San Miguel River near OphirRiver gauge, South Fork San Miguel River	64.9 cfs	Very high	−1.7 cfs	3.9 mi
Cascade Creek above Cascade Creek Diversion near RockwoodRiver gauge, Cascade Creek	74.2 cfs	Very high	−5.2 cfs	11 mi
Cascade Creek below Cascade Creek Diversion near RockwoodRiver gauge, Cascade Creek	75.3 cfs	Very high	−7.0 cfs	11 mi
Mineral Creek at SilvertonRiver gauge, Mineral Creek	128 cfs	Very high	−11.0 cfs	11 mi
Animas River below SilvertonRiver gauge, Animas River	322 cfs	Very high	−13.0 cfs	12 mi
Cement Creek at SilvertonRiver gauge, Cement Creek	35.3 cfs	Very high	−0.7 cfs	12 mi
Animas River at SilvertonRiver gauge, Animas River	156 cfs	Very high	±0	12 mi
Dolores River below RicoRiver gauge, Dolores River	2.22 ft	Below flood stage	−0.05 ft	16 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 Lake Fork San Miguel River above Trout Lake near Ophir today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 03:15 AM MDT, the water level was 2.60 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Fork San Miguel River above Trout Lake near Ophir rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Lake Fork San Miguel River above Trout Lake near Ophir normal?

High for late 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:09171240 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 37.81783, -107.87911 (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	2.60 ft	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional
Flow	17.4 cfs	2026-10-21 09:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Fork San Miguel River above Trout Lake near Ophir (usgs:09171240). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/colorado/lake-fork-san-miguel-river-above-trout-lake-near-ophir

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