Stanislaus River at Orange Blossom Bridge: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · TVA Apalachia Dam releases · California
Latest reading Nov 4, 7:00 AM · streamflow
The Stanislaus River at Orange Blossom Bridge at Stanislaus River at Orange Blossom Bridge is running 270 cfs. Flow is down 34% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Stanislaus River
for rafters & kayakersAmerican Whitewater rates both reaches on this Orange Blossom Bridge gauge, at the bottom of the Knights Ferry run.
Goodwin Canyon (Goodwin Dam to Knights Ferry)
Knights Ferry to Orange Blossom Bridge
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 Stanislaus is controlled by releases from Goodwin Dam below New Melones Reservoir, and flows change with spring and fall fish-pulse releases. Goodwin Canyon (Class IV–V+) needs one of those higher releases; the Knights Ferry float runs at lower flows. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages Knights Ferry Recreation Area. 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 Stanislaus River at Orange Blossom Bridge
The nearest gauges we track are Tuolumne River at Meral's Pool (39 mi east). See all 10 California river gauges on the California lake & river levels page.
Stanislaus River at Orange Blossom Bridge fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow falling — 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
- Flow270 cfsFlow falling (-34% in 24 h)
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 6:31 AM · Sunset 5 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:20 AM–9:20 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:42 PM–9:42 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:24 AM–2:24 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 1:24 AM–2:24 AM · 2:05 PM–3:05 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:04 AM–10:04 AM · 8:25 PM–10:25 PM Minor 2:28 AM–3:28 AM · 2:29 PM–3:29 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:47 AM–10:47 AM · 9:10 PM–11:10 PM Minor 3:32 AM–4:32 AM · 2:54 PM–3:54 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 5/10Fair | Major 9:32 AM–11:32 AM · 9:55 PM–11:55 PM Minor 4:36 AM–5:36 AM · 3:20 PM–4:20 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:18 AM–12:18 PM · 10:42 PM–12:42 AM Minor 5:40 AM–6:40 AM · 3:50 PM–4:50 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:07 AM–1:07 PM · 11:31 PM–1:31 AM Minor 6:44 AM–7:44 AM · 4:24 PM–5:24 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:57 AM–1:57 PM Minor 7:46 AM–8:46 AM · 5:05 PM–6:05 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 37.79, -120.76 (moon times from astronomical equations, Stanislaus River at Orange Blossom Bridge local time).
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Nov 3 | 353 | -45% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 638 | -30% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 916 | -19% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 1,137 | -18% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 1,390 | +3% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 1,355 | +103% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 667 | +57% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Tulloch Reservoir11 mi northeast · Lake · Knights Ferry494.95 ft−6.61 ft vs full pool
- New Melones Reservoir17 mi northeast · Lake1,003.77 ft−45.77 ft vs full pool
- New Hogan Lake25 mi north · Lake665.82 ft−23.07 ft vs full pool
- Lake McClure30 mi southeast · Lake788.86 ft−20.79 ft vs full pool
- Camanche Reservoir34 mi northwest · Lake222.42 ft+2.36 ft vs full pool
- Tuolumne River at Meral's Pool39 mi east · River99.0 cfs24h −7.00 ft
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 OBB — STANISLAUS R AT ORANGE BLOSSOM BRIDGE (river discharge)
- Location
- 37.7883, -120.7617 · 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 OBB (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.