Payette River near Horseshoe Bend: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 13247500 · Idaho · drains 2,220 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 8:30 AM · streamflow
The Payette River at Horseshoe Bend is running 847 cfs, 85% of the median flow for November 4 (1,000 cfs, 117 years). Gage height is 2.76 ft, 10.9 ft below action stage (13.7 ft). Flow is down 3% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Payette River
for rafters & kayakersMain Payette (Banks to Beehive Bend)
LowClass III+ · 7.2 mi · 17 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: Banks Put-In · Take-out: Beehive Bend Take Out
Low from 800 · good 2,000–4,000 · too high above 12,000 cfs
Now: 847 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 4360.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
The Main Payette below Banks is fed by the North Fork (Cascade Dam releases) and the South Fork; it usually stays runnable for commercial trips through 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 (13.7 ft) is 10.9 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
About Payette River near Horseshoe Bend
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 802 cfs (Oct 10, 2026) to 8,930 cfs (May 13, 2026). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1907; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 525 cfs (1936) to 3,100 cfs (1951). The river drains 2,220 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are North Fork Payette River near Banks (13 mi north) and Boise River at Glenwood Bridge near Boise (20 mi south). See all 7 Idaho river gauges on the Idaho lake & river levels page.
Payette River near Horseshoe Bend fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow 85% of normal, flow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 8:01 AM–10:01 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow85% of normalFlow steady (-3% 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 5:30 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead8:01 AM–10:01 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot8:23 PM–10:23 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise2:01 AM–3:01 AM
- Moonset2:48 PM–3:48 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 8:01 AM–10:01 AM · 8:23 PM–10:23 PM Minor 2:01 AM–3:01 AM · 2:48 PM–3:48 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:45 AM–10:45 AM · 9:07 PM–11:07 PM Minor 3:11 AM–4:11 AM · 3:07 PM–4:07 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 9:29 AM–11:29 AM · 9:51 PM–11:51 PM Minor 4:19 AM–5:19 AM · 3:27 PM–4:27 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 · 3:49 PM–4:49 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 · 4:14 PM–5:14 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:48 AM–1:48 PM Minor 7:45 AM–8:45 AM · 4:44 PM–5:44 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:13 AM–2:13 AM · 12:38 PM–2:38 PM Minor 8:51 AM–9:51 AM · 5:21 PM–6:21 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 43.94, -116.20 (moon times from astronomical equations, Payette River near Horseshoe Bend local time).
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge HRSI1- Action stage13.7 ft+10.9 ft from now
- Record crest16.35 ft1964
November 4 in history
117 years of flow records- Today847 cfs
- Same date last year963 cfs2025
- Median1,000 cfs
- Normal range871 cfs – 1,250 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19073,100 cfs1951
- Lowest since 1907525 cfs1936
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 848 | -2% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 864 | -4% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 899 | +3% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 873 | +2% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 854 | +3% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 831 | -1% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 841 | -2% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 857 | +0% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 855 | +2% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 838 | -4% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- North Fork Payette River near Banks13 mi north · River255 cfs88% of normal
- Boise River at Glenwood Bridge near Boise20 mi south · River235 cfs89% of normal
- Arrowrock Lake28 mi southeast · Lake3,140.62 ft−75.13 ft vs normal pool
- Anderson Ranch Reservoir55 mi southeast · Lake4,150.07 ft−43.93 ft vs normal pool
- Bully Creek Reservoir60 mi west · Lake2,479.46 ft−30.54 ft vs normal pool
- Brownlee Reservoir71 mi northwest · Lake2,060.84 ft−13.16 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 13247500 — Payette River Nr Horseshoe Bend Id
- Location
- 43.9433, -116.1967 · Idaho
- Drainage area
- 2,220 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1907–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 8:30 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge HRSI1 — 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.