Kern River below Isabella Dam (Lower Kern): Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · TVA Apalachia Dam releases · California
Latest reading Nov 4, 7:00 AM · streamflow
The Kern River below Isabella Dam (Lower Kern) at Kern River below Isabella Dam (Lower Kern) is running 327 cfs. Flow is about the same as 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Kern River
for rafters & kayakersThis is Isabella Dam's outflow as reported to CDEC, which sets the Lower Kern's flow (side creeks add a little). American Whitewater's Lower Kern ranges are on a different gauge, so no range bar is shown.
Lower Kern: Jungle Run (Slippery Rock to Miracle)
Lower Kern: Miracle Run (Miracle to Democrat)
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
The Lower Kern is controlled by releases from Isabella Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sequoia National Forest lists the season as typically May through September, with normal rafting flows of about 800 to 3,000 cfs. Check the Corps' Isabella release report for changes. Source.
Below dams the river can rise suddenly and turn violent when releases start; stay out of tailrace areas and off the river outside scheduled windows unless you know the flow. Ranges are for experienced paddlers at the gauge shown; rapids change after floods, so scout and check for new wood. Wear a PFD, never boat alone, and follow the American Whitewater Safety Code. New to whitewater? Go with a licensed outfitter.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReading
About Kern River below Isabella Dam (Lower Kern)
The nearest gauges we track are Kern River at Kernville (Upper Kern) (8 mi northeast). See all 10 California river gauges on the California lake & river levels page.
Kern River below Isabella Dam (Lower Kern) fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 7:10 AM–9:10 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow327 cfsFlow steady (+0% in 24 h)
Official California fishing info: California Department of Fish and Wildlife — Inland fishing info
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
4/10
Waning crescent · 21% lit · New moon Sun, Nov 8 · Sunrise 6:19 AM · Sunset 4:55 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:10 AM–9:10 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:32 PM–9:32 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:15 AM–2:15 AM
- Moonset1:55 PM–2:55 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 7:10 AM–9:10 AM · 7:32 PM–9:32 PM Minor 1:15 AM–2:15 AM · 1:55 PM–2:55 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 7:54 AM–9:54 AM · 8:16 PM–10:16 PM Minor 2:18 AM–3:18 AM · 2:21 PM–3:21 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:38 AM–10:38 AM · 9:00 PM–11:00 PM Minor 3:21 AM–4:21 AM · 2:47 PM–3:47 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 5/10Fair | Major 9:23 AM–11:23 AM · 9:45 PM–11:45 PM Minor 4:23 AM–5:23 AM · 3:15 PM–4:15 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:09 AM–12:09 PM · 10:33 PM–12:33 AM Minor 5:26 AM–6:26 AM · 3:46 PM–4:46 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:57 AM–12:57 PM · 11:22 PM–1:22 AM Minor 6:28 AM–7:28 AM · 4:21 PM–5:21 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:47 AM–1:47 PM Minor 7:29 AM–8:29 AM · 5:03 PM–6:03 PM |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the river is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moon overhead × sunrise +2) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 4.6 days) | 0 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · flow within ±15% in 24 h +1, rising over 25% −1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 1 |
| Today | 4, rounded | 4/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 35.64, -118.48 (moon times from astronomical equations, Kern River below Isabella Dam (Lower Kern) local time).
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Nov 3 | 323 | +11% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 290 | +17% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 248 | -1% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 251 | -4% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 261 | +0% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 260 | -0% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 261 | -3% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
Guides
All guides →- Best time to go whitewater rafting, river by riverTypical flow each month against American Whitewater’s ranges, for 40+ rafting runs.
- What river flow is best for rafting?How to read cfs and our Too low / Good / High bands before a raft trip, with live examples.
- What CFS is safe for kayaking and rafting?Live flows against American Whitewater ranges for classic Eastern runs.
About this data
- Source
- California Department of Water Resources — CDEC station ISB — ISABELLA DAM outflow (reservoir outflow)
- Location
- 35.6447, -118.4806 · California
- Measures
- Average hourly discharge released from Apalachia Dam through the powerhouse, cfs
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 7:00 AM local time
- History
- 0 days on file
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
Source: California Department of Water Resources — CDEC station ISB (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.