Clear Creek near Lawson: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 06716500 · Colorado · drains 147 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 7:45 AM · streamflow
The Clear Creek at Lawson is running 28.3 cfs, 62% of the median flow for November 4 (46.0 cfs, 72 years). Gage height is 2.59 ft, 4.9 ft below flood stage (7.5 ft). Flow is down 5% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Clear Creek
for rafters & kayakersLawson to Idaho Springs
Too lowClass III–IV · 7.7 mi
Low from 200 · good 500–800 · too high above 1,500 cfs
Now: 28.3 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 2819.
Idaho Springs Town Run
Too lowClass III · 5.4 mi
Low from 225 · good 400–700 · too high above 1,200 cfs
Now: 28.3 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 11563.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Flow on this section is natural (snowmelt and rain), not set by a dam release schedule, so check the live reading above before you go. Commercial rafting season depends on runoff. 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 secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumAction (7.0 ft) is 4.4 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (7.5 ft) is 4.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (8.5 ft) is 5.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (9.5 ft) is 6.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
About Clear Creek near Lawson
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 13.7 cfs (Dec 28, 2025) to 243 cfs (Jun 7, 2026). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1947; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 26.0 cfs (1957) to 88.0 cfs (1985). The river drains 147 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are Dillon Reservoir (26 mi southwest) and Bear Creek Lake (27 mi east). See all 12 Colorado river gauges on the Colorado lake & river levels page.
Clear Creek near Lawson fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow 62% of normal, flow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 7:17 AM–9:17 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow62% of normalFlow 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 4:56 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:17 AM–9:17 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:39 PM–9:39 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:19 AM–2:19 AM
- Moonset2:04 PM–3:04 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 7:17 AM–9:17 AM · 7:39 PM–9:39 PM Minor 1:19 AM–2:19 AM · 2:04 PM–3:04 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:01 AM–10:01 AM · 8:23 PM–10:23 PM Minor 2:25 AM–3:25 AM · 2:26 PM–3:26 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:45 AM–10:45 AM · 9:07 PM–11:07 PM Minor 3:31 AM–4:31 AM · 2:50 PM–3:50 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 9:30 AM–11:30 AM · 9:52 PM–11:52 PM Minor 4:36 AM–5:36 AM · 3:15 PM–4:15 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:16 AM–12:16 PM · 10:40 PM–12:40 AM Minor 5:41 AM–6:41 AM · 3:43 PM–4:43 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:04 AM–1:04 PM · 11:29 PM–1:29 AM Minor 6:47 AM–7:47 AM · 4:16 PM–5:16 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:54 AM–1:54 PM Minor 7:50 AM–8:50 AM · 4:55 PM–5:55 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 39.77, -105.63 (moon times from astronomical equations, Clear Creek near Lawson local time).
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge IDOC2- Action stage7 ft+4.4 ft from now
- Minor stage7.5 ft+4.9 ft from now
- Moderate stage8.5 ft+5.9 ft from now
- Major stage9.5 ft+6.9 ft from now
- Record crest7.11 ft2011
November 4 in history
72 years of flow records- Today28.3 cfs
- Same date last year36.6 cfs2025
- Median46.0 cfs
- Normal range37.0 cfs – 53.0 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 194788.0 cfs1985
- Lowest since 194726.0 cfs1957
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 28.3 | -3% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 29.3 | +1% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 29.1 | -4% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 30.2 | -8% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 32.8 | +9% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 30.2 | +2% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 29.6 | -3% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 30.4 | -3% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 31.5 | -2% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 32.3 | +0% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Dillon Reservoir26 mi southwest · Lake8,978.34 ft24h −0.10 ft
- Bear Creek Lake27 mi east · Lake5,545.23 ft−12.77 ft vs full pool
- Granby Reservoir30 mi northwest · Lake8,234.63 ft24h ±0.00 ft
- Willow Creek Reservoir31 mi northwest · Lake8,117.77 ft24h +0.09 ft
- Shadow Mountain Reservoir33 mi north · Lake8,366.74 ft24h −0.02 ft
- Chatfield Lake33 mi southeast · Lake5,431.67 ft−12.33 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
- Gauge
- USGS 06716500 — Clear Creek Near Lawson, Co
- Location
- 39.7658, -105.6256 · Colorado
- Drainage area
- 147 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1947–2025 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 7:45 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge IDOC2 — National Water Prediction Service
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.