Cache la Poudre River at Canyon Mouth: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · TVA Apalachia Dam releases · Colorado
Latest reading Nov 4, 8:45 AM · streamflow
The Cache la Poudre River at Canyon Mouth at Cache la Poudre River at Canyon Mouth is running 45.4 cfs. Flow is about the same as 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Cache la Poudre River
for rafters & kayakersAmerican Whitewater rates these Poudre Canyon reaches on this canyon-mouth gauge, which is downstream of all of them. Water takes time to travel down the canyon, and diversions in the canyon mean upper reaches can differ from this reading.
Upper Rustic (Tunnel to Indian Meadows)
The Narrows
Upper Mishawaka
Lower Mishawaka (Dead Deer to Poudre Park)
Filter Plant (to Picnic Rock)
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Colorado's only National Wild and Scenic River. The rafting season generally runs May through August, peaking with snowmelt in June; later in summer reservoir releases help keep flows up. 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 Cache la Poudre River at Canyon Mouth
The nearest gauges we track are Horsetooth Reservoir (5 mi southeast) and Pinewood Reservoir (21 mi south). See all 12 Colorado river gauges on the Colorado lake & river levels page.
Cache la Poudre River at Canyon Mouth fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 7:15 AM–9:15 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow45.4 cfsFlow steady (+0% 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 6:35 AM · Sunset 4:53 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:15 AM–9:15 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:38 PM–9:38 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:17 AM–2:17 AM
- Moonset2:02 PM–3:02 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 7:15 AM–9:15 AM · 7:38 PM–9:38 PM Minor 1:17 AM–2:17 AM · 2:02 PM–3:02 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · 8:21 PM–10:21 PM Minor 2:24 AM–3:24 AM · 2:24 PM–3:24 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:43 AM–10:43 AM · 9:05 PM–11:05 PM Minor 3:30 AM–4:30 AM · 2:47 PM–3:47 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 9:28 AM–11:28 AM · 9:51 PM–11:51 PM Minor 4:36 AM–5:36 AM · 3:11 PM–4:11 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:14 AM–12:14 PM · 10:38 PM–12:38 AM Minor 5:42 AM–6:42 AM · 3:39 PM–4:39 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:02 AM–1:02 PM · 11:27 PM–1:27 AM Minor 6:48 AM–7:48 AM · 4:11 PM–5:11 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:52 AM–1:52 PM Minor 7:51 AM–8:51 AM · 4:50 PM–5:50 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 40.66, -105.22 (moon times from astronomical equations, Cache la Poudre River at Canyon Mouth local time).
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 45.4 | +1% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 45.0 | -12% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 50.9 | -3% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 52.4 | +2% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 51.3 | -6% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 54.8 | +14% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 48.1 | -6% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 51.0 | +7% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Horsetooth Reservoir5 mi southeast · Lake5,407.92 ft24h −0.01 ft
- Pinewood Reservoir21 mi south · Lake6,573.27 ft24h −0.95 ft
- Flatiron Reservoir21 mi south · Lake5,468.56 ft24h −0.28 ft
- Carter Lake24 mi south · Lake5,704.40 ft24h −0.13 ft
- Lake Estes (Olympus Dam)24 mi southwest · Lake7,459.57 ft24h −0.24 ft
- Marys Lake28 mi southwest · Lake8,032.45 ft24h +0.25 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 CLAFTCCO — CACHE LA POUDRE AT CANYON MOUTH NEAR FORT COLLINS (river discharge)
- Location
- 40.6645, -105.2242 · Colorado
- Measures
- Average hourly discharge released from Apalachia Dam through the powerhouse, cfs
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 8:45 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 CLAFTCCO (official page). Operator data is preliminary and may be revised. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.