South Fork American River at Chili Bar: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · TVA Apalachia Dam releases · California
Latest reading Nov 4, 7:00 AM · streamflow
The South Fork American River at Chili Bar at South Fork American River at Chili Bar is running 574 cfs. Flow is up 144% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: South Fork American River
for rafters & kayakersAmerican Whitewater rates all three South Fork runs on this Chili Bar gauge, just below the dam.
Chili Bar (Route 193 to Coloma)
Coloma to Greenwood Creek
The Gorge (Greenwood Creek to Folsom Lake)
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
The South Fork below Chili Bar Dam runs on scheduled recreation releases under SMUD and PG&E's federal hydropower license, so it can be rafted all year, including dry years. Release days and times depend on the water-year type. Water takes about two hours to reach Coloma and three hours to Camp Lotus. 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 South Fork American River at Chili Bar
The nearest gauges we track are American River at Fair Oaks (24 mi southwest) and Sacramento River at Verona (42 mi west). See all 10 California river gauges on the California lake & river levels page.
South Fork American River at Chili Bar fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow rising fast (+144%) — poor fall fishing day (3/10), best window 7:20 AM–9:20 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow574 cfsFlow rising fast (+144% in 24 h) — often muddy, unsettled water
Official California fishing info: California Department of Fish and Wildlife — Inland fishing info
Best fishing times today
Today is a poor fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
3/10
Waning crescent · 21% lit · New moon Sun, Nov 8 · Sunrise 6:33 AM · Sunset 4:59 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:20 AM–9:20 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:42 PM–9:42 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:23 AM–2:23 AM
- Moonset2:05 PM–3:05 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 3/10Poor | Major 7:20 AM–9:20 AM · 7:42 PM–9:42 PM Minor 1:23 AM–2:23 AM · 2:05 PM–3:05 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:04 AM–10:04 AM · 8:26 PM–10:26 PM Minor 2:29 AM–3:29 AM · 2:29 PM–3:29 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:48 AM–10:48 AM · 9:10 PM–11:10 PM Minor 3:33 AM–4:33 AM · 2:53 PM–3:53 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 5/10Fair | Major 9:32 AM–11:32 AM · 9:55 PM–11:55 PM Minor 4:38 AM–5:38 AM · 3:18 PM–4:18 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:18 AM–12:18 PM · 10:42 PM–12:42 AM Minor 5:43 AM–6:43 AM · 3:48 PM–4:48 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:07 AM–1:07 PM · 11:32 PM–1:32 AM Minor 6:47 AM–7:47 AM · 4:21 PM–5:21 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:57 AM–1:57 PM Minor 7:49 AM–8:49 AM · 5:01 PM–6:01 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)
| 0 |
| Today | 3, rounded | 3/10 |
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 38.77, -120.82 (moon times from astronomical equations, South Fork American River at Chili Bar local time).
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Nov 3 | 523 | +120% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 237 | -57% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 548 | -16% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 652 | +12% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 580 | +87% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 310 | -0% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 312 | +0% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Folsom Lake19 mi west · Lake398.42 ft−67.58 ft vs full pool
- American River at Fair Oaks24 mi southwest · River1,160 cfs66% of normal
- Camanche Reservoir39 mi south · Lake222.42 ft+2.36 ft vs full pool
- Sacramento River at Verona42 mi west · River7,460 cfs78% of normal
- New Hogan Lake43 mi south · Lake665.82 ft−23.07 ft vs full pool
- New Bullards Bar Reservoir46 mi north · Lake1,878.87 ft−39.42 ft vs full pool
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 CBR — AMERICAN RIVER AT CHILI BAR (river discharge)
- Location
- 38.7720, -120.8160 · 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 CBR (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.