Payette River near Payette water level

Name: Payette River near Payette 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, Payette River, Idaho, United States

Directions

Below flood stage

Water level

4.85ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 07:30 AM PDT (21 min ago)

Flow: 1,030 cfs

History

7 days

Water level Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.00 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 05:00 AM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 10:08 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Payette River near Payette, where the gauge shows 4.85 ft.

It is 7.15 ft below the flood stage of 12.00 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.00 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 05:00 AM. The 30-day range is 4.54 ft – 4.96 ft.

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

Key numbers

Highest on record: 14.50 ftJanuary 2, 1997
Forecast peak: 5.00 ftSaturday, October 24 at 05:00 AM

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 12.00 ft.

What happens at each level

14.00 ft: Major flooding will occur near the river in Payette County. Water will flow over the top of levees near the river. Water will be near the top of the embankment surrounding the Shady River Mobile Home Community. Houses along Highway 52 in the vicinity New Plymouth will flood. Water will flow over the road to a depth of at least 1 foot near the intersection of Highway 52 and Black Bridge Road. Portions of the industrial area in Payette will flood and water will cover portions of Park and River Streets.
13.50 ft: Water will approach the top of Carpenter and Girlock Levees. Some flooding along Killebrew Dr. near Payette is likely. Water will flow over the road near the intersection of Hwy 52 and Black Bridge Rd. Several houses along Hwy 52 near New Plymouth will flood. Portions of River St.and Park St. in Payette may flood. Flooding of low lying areas in the industrial section of Payette is possible. Extensive flooding of agricultural land will occur. Homes at the south end of Dutch Lane may be impacted by flooding.
12.50 ft: Flood waters will approach Highway 52 in the vicinity of New Plymouth threatening several houses in low areas near the river. Houses near Faulks Bridge may also be threatened. Large areas of pastureland near the river will be flooded and livestock should be moved to higher ground. Sections of the greenbelt path in Payette may be flooded.
12.00 ft: Minor flooding of pasture and farm fields will occur near the river in Payette County. High water may begin to affect portions of the greenbelt in Payette.
4.85 ft: Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	14.50 ft	January 2, 1997
2	13.80 ft	December 24, 1964
3	13.69 ft	June 6, 2010
4	12.75 ft	December 23, 1955
5	12.66 ft	April 10, 2019
6	12.64 ft	April 28, 2012
7	12.33 ft	May 28, 1998
8	12.17 ft	May 19, 1996
9	11.97 ft	March 21, 2017
10	11.96 ft	June 27, 1971

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 72° 33° – Wind 7 mph

18 Sun 70° 40° – Wind 6 mph

19 Mon 76° 41° – Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 73° 50° – Wind 7 mph

21 Wed 67° 53° 0.13 in, 24% Wind 9 mph

22 Thu 69° 52° 0.05 in, 38% Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 68° 50° – Wind 13 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:08 AM Sunset 05:59 PM Daylight 10 hr, 51 min First quarter 60%

Map

Other gauges on the Payette River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Payette River near Horseshoe BendRiver gauge, Payette River	803 cfs	Low	±0	37 mi
Payette River near EmmettRiver gauge, Payette River	2.07 ft	Below flood stage	+0.11 ft	25 mi
Payette River near LethaRiver gauge, Payette River	588 cfs	Normal	+276 cfs	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Snake River at NyssaRiver gauge, Snake River	7,270 cfs	Very low	−360.0 cfs	12 mi
Snake River at WeiserRiver gauge, Snake River	3.35 ft	Below flood stage	+0.04 ft	14 mi
Malheur River below Nevada Dam near ValeRiver gauge, Malheur River	10.87 ft	Below flood stage	±0	15 mi
Sand Run Gulch near ParmaRiver gauge, Sand Run Gulch	61.3 cfs	Very low	−1.6 cfs	17 mi
Weiser River near WeiserRiver gauge, Weiser River	3.78 ft	Below flood stage	±0	17 mi
Boise River near ParmaRiver gauge, Boise River	696 cfs	Low	+6.0 cfs	18 mi
Crane Creek at Mouth near WeiserRiver gauge, Crane Creek	4.6 cfs	Normal	−0.3 cfs	19 mi
Dixie Drain near WilderRiver gauge, Dixie Drain	150 cfs	Normal	−6.0 cfs	22 mi

Questions and answers

What is flood stage for the Payette River near Payette?

The official flood stage is 12.00 ft. The level is currently 7.15 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 Payette River near Payette today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 07:30 AM PDT, the water level was 4.85 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Payette River near Payette rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Payette River near Payette normal?

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

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Payette River near Payette?

The highest level on record is 14.50 ft on January 2, 1997.

Is Payette River near Payette expected to rise?

The forecast expects the river to rise to 5.00 ft by Saturday, October 24 at 05:00 AM.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:13251000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 44.04222, -116.92528 (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	4.85 ft	2026-10-19 14:30	Provisional
Flow	1,030 cfs	2026-10-19 14:30	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Payette River near Payette (usgs:13251000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/idaho/payette-river-near-payette

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