Colorado River near Dotsero: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 09070500 · Colorado · drains 4,390 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 8:00 AM · streamflow
The Colorado River at Dotsero is running 577 cfs, 54% of the median flow for November 4 (1,070 cfs, 85 years). Gage height is 1.85 ft, 10.2 ft below flood stage (12.0 ft). Flow is down 12% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Colorado River
for rafters & kayakersAW’s Shoshone range is defined on this Dotsero gauge, upstream of Glenwood Canyon. The USGS gauge below Glenwood Springs (09085100) reads higher because it adds the Roaring Fork.
Shoshone (Shoshone Power Plant to Grizzly Creek)
RunnableClass III–IV · 1.7 mi · 39 ft/mi gradient
Low from 500 · too high above 10,000 cfs
Now: 577 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 4260.
45°F water: cold-shock range. Wear a wetsuit or drysuit sized for immersion; most people feel maximum-intensity cold shock in 50–60°F water without one. Reading Nov 4, 8:00 AM at this gauge.
Shoshone flow is set by upstream reservoirs and the Shoshone hydro plant’s water right as well as snowmelt; the Shoshone stretch runs commercially through most of the summer. Check the reading above before you go. 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 (11.5 ft) is 9.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (12.0 ft) is 10.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (13.0 ft) is 11.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (14.0 ft) is 12.2 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
About Colorado River near Dotsero
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 396 cfs (Jan 26, 2026) to 1,420 cfs (Mar 27, 2026). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1941; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 645 cfs (1956) to 2,090 cfs (1963). The river drains 4,390 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are Colorado River near Kremmling (43 mi northeast). See all 12 Colorado river gauges on the Colorado lake & river levels page.
Colorado River near Dotsero fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETWater 45°F, flow 54% of normal, flow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 7:23 AM–9:23 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp45°Fmeasured Nov 4, 8:00 AM · this gauge
- Flow54% of normalFlow steady (-12% 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 6:40 AM · Sunset 5:02 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:23 AM–9:23 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:45 PM–9:45 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:25 AM–2:25 AM
- Moonset2:10 PM–3:10 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 7:23 AM–9:23 AM · 7:45 PM–9:45 PM Minor 1:25 AM–2:25 AM · 2:10 PM–3:10 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:07 AM–10:07 AM · 8:29 PM–10:29 PM Minor 2:32 AM–3:32 AM · 2:32 PM–3:32 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:51 AM–10:51 AM · 9:13 PM–11:13 PM Minor 3:37 AM–4:37 AM · 2:56 PM–3:56 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 9:36 AM–11:36 AM · 9:58 PM–11:58 PM Minor 4:42 AM–5:42 AM · 3:21 PM–4:21 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:22 AM–12:22 PM · 10:46 PM–12:46 AM Minor 5:47 AM–6:47 AM · 3:49 PM–4:49 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:10 AM–1:10 PM · 11:35 PM–1:35 AM Minor 6:52 AM–7:52 AM · 4:22 PM–5:22 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:00 PM–2:00 PM Minor 7:55 AM–8:55 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; water temperature measured at this gauge. 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 39.64, -107.08 (moon times from astronomical equations, Colorado River near Dotsero local time).
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge EGLC2- Action stage11.5 ft+9.7 ft from now
- Minor stage12 ft+10.2 ft from now
- Moderate stage13 ft+11.2 ft from now
- Major stage14 ft+12.2 ft from now
- Record crest14.2 ft1984
November 4 in history
85 years of flow records- Today577 cfs
- Same date last year884 cfs2025
- Median1,070 cfs
- Normal range915 cfs – 1,280 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19412,090 cfs1963
- Lowest since 1941645 cfs1956
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 592 | -9% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 648 | -14% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 754 | +20% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 629 | +1% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 625 | -1% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 630 | -5% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 662 | -1% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 666 | -3% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 690 | +0% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 687 | -0% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Ruedi Reservoir24 mi southeast · Lake7,679.84 ft24h −0.03 ft
- Rifle Gap Reservoir36 mi west · Lake · Rifle5,917.20 ft−19.21 ft vs normal
- Colorado River near Kremmling43 mi northeast · River216 cfs36% of normal
- Green Mountain Reservoir44 mi east · Lake7,827.09 ft24h +0.30 ft
- Turquoise Lake46 mi southeast · Lake9,833.12 ft24h +0.01 ft
- Wolford Mountain Reservoir48 mi northeast · Lake · Kremmling7,443.45 ft24h −0.06 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
- Gauge
- USGS 09070500 — Colorado River Near Dotsero, Co
- Location
- 39.6446, -107.0780 · Colorado
- Drainage area
- 4,390 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1941–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 8:00 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge EGLC2 — 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.