North Fork Payette River near Banks: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 13246000 · Idaho · drains 921 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 8:00 AM · streamflow
The North Fork Payette River at Banks is running 255 cfs, 88% of the median flow for November 4 (290 cfs, 79 years). Gage height is 3.96 ft. Flow is down 2% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: North Fork Payette River
for rafters & kayakersSmiths Ferry to Banks
Too lowClass V · 16 mi · 110 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: Top Put-In · Take-out: Banks Take-out
Low from 400 · good 1,500–2,500 · too high above 3,000 cfs
Now: 255 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 592.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Flow is controlled mostly by Cascade Dam releases (Bureau of Reclamation). This section is expert-only Class V. 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 datumReading
About North Fork Payette River near Banks
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 242 cfs (Oct 16, 2026) to 3,020 cfs (May 7, 2026). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1948; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 134 cfs (1950) to 2,030 cfs (1951). The river drains 921 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are Payette River near Horseshoe Bend (13 mi south) and Boise River at Glenwood Bridge near Boise (32 mi south). See all 7 Idaho river gauges on the Idaho lake & river levels page.
North Fork Payette River near Banks fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow 88% of normal, flow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 8:00 AM–10:00 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow88% of normalFlow steady (-2% in 24 h)
Official Idaho fishing info: Idaho Fish and Game — Idaho Fishing Planner
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 7:25 AM · Sunset 5:29 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead8:00 AM–10:00 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot8:22 PM–10:22 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise2:00 AM–3:00 AM
- Moonset2:47 PM–3:47 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · 8:22 PM–10:22 PM Minor 2:00 AM–3:00 AM · 2:47 PM–3:47 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:44 AM–10:44 AM · 9:06 PM–11:06 PM Minor 3:10 AM–4:10 AM · 3:06 PM–4:06 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 9:28 AM–11:28 AM · 9:50 PM–11:50 PM Minor 4:19 AM–5:19 AM · 3:26 PM–4:26 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 10:13 AM–12:13 PM · 10:36 PM–12:36 AM Minor 5:28 AM–6:28 AM · 3:48 PM–4:48 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:59 AM–12:59 PM · 11:23 PM–1:23 AM Minor 6:37 AM–7:37 AM · 4:13 PM–5:13 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:47 AM–1:47 PM Minor 7:45 AM–8:45 AM · 4:43 PM–5:43 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:12 AM–2:12 AM · 12:37 PM–2:37 PM Minor 8:51 AM–9:51 AM · 5:20 PM–6:20 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 44.11, -116.11 (moon times from astronomical equations, North Fork Payette River near Banks local time).
November 4 in history
79 years of flow records- Today255 cfs
- Same date last year292 cfs2025
- Median290 cfs
- Normal range268 cfs – 408 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19482,030 cfs1951
- Lowest since 1948134 cfs1950
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 257 | -1% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 261 | -2% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 267 | +1% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 265 | +5% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 253 | +0% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 252 | -0% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 253 | -1% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 256 | -2% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 261 | +3% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 254 | -2% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Payette River near Horseshoe Bend13 mi south · River847 cfs85% of normal
- Boise River at Glenwood Bridge near Boise32 mi south · River235 cfs89% of normal
- Arrowrock Lake37 mi south · Lake3,140.62 ft−75.13 ft vs normal pool
- Anderson Ranch Reservoir62 mi southeast · Lake4,150.07 ft−43.93 ft vs normal pool
- Brownlee Reservoir63 mi northwest · Lake2,060.84 ft−13.16 ft vs normal pool
- Bully Creek Reservoir64 mi west · Lake2,479.46 ft−30.54 ft vs normal 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 13246000 — Nf Payette River Nr Banks Id
- Location
- 44.1142, -116.1072 · Idaho
- Drainage area
- 921 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1948–2025 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 8:00 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
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.