Arkansas River at Salida (Browns Canyon): Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · TVA Apalachia Dam releases · Colorado
Latest reading Nov 4, 9:15 AM · streamflow
The Arkansas River at Salida (Browns Canyon) at Arkansas River at Salida (Browns Canyon) is running 252 cfs. Flow is down 5% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Arkansas River
for rafters & kayakersThis year-round Colorado DWR gauge is at Salida, just below the Browns Canyon take-out. American Whitewater rates Browns Canyon on the USGS gauge near Nathrop (07091200), which USGS runs seasonally; when it is reporting, the Browns Canyon bar uses it. The Salida Town range is set on this Salida gauge.
Browns Canyon (Fisherman's Bridge to Stone Bridge)
Stone Bridge to Salida (Salida Town)
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Under the Voluntary Flow Management Program, the Bureau of Reclamation can release Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water to hold about 700 cfs at the Wellsville gauge from July 1 to August 15 for rafting, if project water is available; after August 15 the target drops to the 250 cfs fishery minimum. Spring snowmelt brings the highest flows, usually late May through June. 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 Arkansas River at Salida (Browns Canyon)
The nearest gauges we track are Arkansas River near Wellsville (Royal Gorge) (4 mi southeast) and Arkansas River at Granite (The Numbers) (38 mi northwest). See all 12 Colorado river gauges on the Colorado lake & river levels page.
Arkansas River at Salida (Browns Canyon) fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 7:19 AM–9:19 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow252 cfsFlow steady (-5% in 24 h)
Official Colorado fishing info: Colorado Parks and Wildlife — Fishing conditions & stocking report
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
4/10
Waning crescent · 21% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 6:34 AM · Sunset 5 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:19 AM–9:19 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:41 PM–9:41 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:21 AM–2:21 AM
- Moonset2:05 PM–3:05 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 7:19 AM–9:19 AM · 7:41 PM–9:41 PM Minor 1:21 AM–2:21 AM · 2:05 PM–3:05 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:03 AM–10:03 AM · 8:25 PM–10:25 PM Minor 2:27 AM–3:27 AM · 2:29 PM–3:29 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:46 AM–10:46 AM · 9:09 PM–11:09 PM Minor 3:31 AM–4:31 AM · 2:53 PM–3:53 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 9:31 AM–11:31 AM · 9:54 PM–11:54 PM Minor 4:36 AM–5:36 AM · 3:18 PM–4:18 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:17 AM–12:17 PM · 10:41 PM–12:41 AM Minor 5:40 AM–6:40 AM · 3:48 PM–4:48 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:05 AM–1:05 PM · 11:30 PM–1:30 AM Minor 6:44 AM–7:44 AM · 4:21 PM–5:21 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:56 AM–1:56 PM Minor 7:47 AM–8:47 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)
| 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 38.54, -105.99 (moon times from astronomical equations, Arkansas River at Salida (Browns Canyon) local time).
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 252 | -5% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 266 | -7% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 285 | +9% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 261 | +5% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 249 | -1% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 251 | -3% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 259 | +1% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 258 | -6% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Arkansas River near Wellsville (Royal Gorge)4 mi southeast · River368 cfs24h −37.00 ft
- Arkansas River at Granite (The Numbers)38 mi northwest · River84.0 cfs24h −2.00 ft
- Mount Elbert Forebay38 mi north · Lake9,614.36 ft24h +0.09 ft
- Taylor Park Reservoir38 mi northwest · Lake · Taylor Park9,299.84 ft24h +0.10 ft
- Twin Lakes Reservoir40 mi northwest · Lake9,186.74 ft24h +0.01 ft
- Turquoise Lake53 mi northwest · Lake9,833.12 ft24h +0.01 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
- Colorado Division of Water Resources — real-time telemetry station ARKSALCO — ARKANSAS RIVER AT SALIDA, CO. (river discharge)
- Location
- 38.5436, -105.9903 · Colorado
- Measures
- Average hourly discharge released from Apalachia Dam through the powerhouse, cfs
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 9:15 AM local time
- History
- 0 days on file
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
Source: Colorado Division of Water Resources — real-time telemetry station ARKSALCO (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.