Colorado River at Bastrop water level

Name: Colorado River at Bastrop 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, Colorado River, Texas, United States

Directions

Normal for mid-October

Water level

2.78ft Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 19, 2026, 12:40 AM CDT (30 min ago)

Flow: 575 cfs

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Forecast Minor flood stage

The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 04:00 PM. Issued Sunday, October 18 at 08:49 AM by NOAA National Weather Service.

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Colorado River at Bastrop, where the gauge shows 2.78 ft.

The median for mid-October is 3.05 ft, based on 27 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.27 ft below typical. It is 20.22 ft below the flood stage of 23.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 2.53 ft, a difference of +0.25 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.14 ft over the past 24 hours. The forecast expects the river to rise to 3.00 ft by Wednesday, October 21 at 04:00 PM. The 30-day range is 2.63 ft – 4.24 ft.

Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 3.05 ft0.27 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 2.40 ft – 7.23 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (27 years of records)
Same day last year: 2.53 ft+0.25 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 2.63 ft – 4.24 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 2.20 ft – 15.14 ft
Highest on record: 60.30 ftJuly 7, 1869
Forecast peak: 3.00 ftWednesday, October 21 at 04:00 PM

Paddling and fishing conditions

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

For reference, flood stage is 23.00 ft.

What happens at each level

37.00 ft: Widespread disastrous flooding is to the roofs of the lowest homes in the Doty River, Hidden Valley, and Pecan Shores subdivisions above Smithville. Flow approaches the lowest homes and the golf course near Bastrop
35.00 ft: Disastrous flooding severely floods homes between Bastrop and Smithville in the Doty River, Hidden Valley, and Pecan Shores subdivisions. Livestock are extremely vulnerable in the flood plain. Roads and bridges flood severely and are very dangerous. Flow threatens lowest homes near bastrop and facilities and lowest areas of the golf course near Bastrop
33.00 ft: Disastrous flooding severely damages the Doty River, Hidden Valley, and Pecan Shores subdivisions above Smithville. Roads and bridges near the river are very dangerous
31.00 ft: Disastrous flooding reaches many homes between Bastrop and Smithville in the Doty River, Hidden Valley and Pecan Shores subdivisions. Roads and bridges in the flood plain are very dangerous. Livestock should be moved from the flood plain
29.00 ft: Lowest homes in the Doty River, Hidden Valley and Pecan Shores subdivisions above Smithville flood. Many primary and secondary roads and bridges flood and are very dangerous to motorists. Livestock and equipment should be moved from the flood plain
28.00 ft: Major flooding reaches lowest homes downstream above Smithville in the Doty River, Pecan Shores, and Hidden Valley Estate subdivisions. Low roads and bridges near the river flood and are very dangerous to motorists
27.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding below Austin to below Smithville threatens homes above Smithville in the Doty River, Hidden Valley, and Pecan Shores Estates subdivisions. Livestock should be moved from vulnerable areas of the flood plain. Low roads and bridges in the flood plain are flooded and dangerous to motorists
25.00 ft: Moderate lowland flooding reaches bottomlands above Bastrop near the Colorado River and Piney and Wilbarger Creek confluences. Water begins to enter the city park and officials will close the park
23.00 ft: Minor lowland flooding reaches lowest areas of the flood plain. Secondary roads and low bridges are flooded
20.00 ft: Flow exceeds bankfull into lowest areas of the flood plain. Jogging trail at Fisherman's Park is flooded.
18.00 ft: Flow exceeds bankfull into lowest areas of the flood plain
16.00 ft: Flow exceeds bankfull into lowest areas of the flood plain
2.78 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: 15 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	60.30 ft	July 7, 1869
2	57.00 ft	June 16, 1935
3	53.30 ft	December 4, 1913
4	37.48 ft	December 22, 1991
5	36.17 ft	October 31, 2015
6	34.45 ft	October 29, 1960
7	32.30 ft	October 19, 1998
8	31.65 ft	November 22, 2004
9	31.07 ft	May 26, 2015
10	30.96 ft	November 17, 2001

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 73° 47° – Wind 7 mph

19 Mon 75° 51° – Wind 8 mph

20 Tue 80° 56° – Wind 8 mph

21 Wed 83° 62° – Wind 8 mph

22 Thu 83° 63° – Wind 8 mph

23 Fri 85° 60° – Wind 10 mph

24 Sat 85° 62° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:34 AM Sunset 06:55 PM Daylight 11 hr, 21 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Colorado River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Colorado River near San SabaRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.21 ft	Normal	±0	107 mi
Colorado River at AustinRiver gauge, Colorado River	12.61 ft	Normal	−1.20 ft	24 mi
Colorado River at SmithvilleRiver gauge, Colorado River	1.49 ft	Low	−0.02 ft	11 mi
Colorado River above La GrangeRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.62 ft	Very low	+0.27 ft	28 mi
Colorado River at ColumbusRiver gauge, Colorado River	9.24 ft	Low	−0.06 ft	54 mi
Colorado River at WhartonRiver gauge, Colorado River	8.06 ft	Low	−0.04 ft	91 mi
Colorado River near Bay CityRiver gauge, Colorado River	2.71 ft	Low	−0.21 ft	111 mi
Colorado River near WadsworthTidal gauge, Colorado River	1.65 ft	No reference yet	−0.09 ft	122 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Eastern Tributary to Dry Creek near Del ValleRiver gauge, Eastern Tributary to Dry Creek	10.21 ft	Very low	±0	17 mi
Maha Creek at Von Quintus Rd near Del ValleRiver gauge, Maha Creek	0.0 cfs	Normal	±0	20 mi
Onion Creek at US Hwy 183, AustinRiver gauge, Onion Creek	4.46 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	23 mi
Walnut Creek at Webberville Rd, AustinRiver gauge, Walnut Creek	4.01 ft	Normal	+0.02 ft	24 mi
Plum Creek at LockhartRiver gauge, Plum Creek	2.02 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	25 mi
Williamson Creek at Jimmy Clay Rd, AustinRiver gauge, Williamson Creek	0.0 cfs	Low	±0	25 mi
Western Tributary to Gilleland Creek near ManorRiver gauge, Western Tributary to Gilleland Creek	8.16 ft	Very high	−0.01 ft	26 mi
Ft Br Boggy Creek at Manor Rd, AustinRiver gauge, Ft Br Boggy Creek	1.25 ft	Normal	±0	26 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Colorado River at Bastrop higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.25 ft higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 2.53 ft.

What is flood stage for the Colorado River at Bastrop?

The official flood stage is 23.00 ft. The level is currently 20.22 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Colorado River at Bastrop in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 3.05 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 2.40 ft and 7.23 ft, based on 27 years of records.

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 Colorado River at Bastrop today?

On Oct 19, 2026, 12:40 AM CDT, the water level was 2.78 ft. Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Colorado River at Bastrop rising or falling?

Down 0.14 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.13 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Colorado River at Bastrop normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 27 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08159200 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 30.10466, -97.31944 (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	2.78 ft	2026-10-19 05:40	Provisional
Flow	575 cfs	2026-10-19 05:40	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Colorado River at Bastrop (usgs:08159200). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/texas/colorado-river-at-bastrop

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