Patuxent River near Bowie
River flow & level · USGS gauge 01594440 · Maryland · drains 348 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 11:45 AM · streamflow
The Patuxent River at Bowie is running 127 cfs, 76% of the median flow for October 26 (168 cfs, 49 years). Gage height is 4.27 ft, 14.7 ft below flood stage (19.0 ft). Flow is up 2% from 24 hours ago.
Streamflow
cubic feet per secondReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Gage height & flood stages
ft above gauge datumAction (17.0 ft) is 12.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (19.0 ft) is 14.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Patuxent River near Bowie fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 12:50 PM ETWater 55°F, flow 76% of normal, flow steady, light W wind — excellent fall fishing day (8/10), best window 7:33 AM–8:33 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp55°Fmeasured Oct 26, 12:35 PM · Patuxent R at Gov Bridge Natural Area nr Bowie MD, 1 mi away
- Air temphigh 71°F / low 48°FSunny
- WindLight W1–6 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 10
- Flow76% of normalFlow steady (+2% in 24 h)
Official Maryland fishing report: Maryland DNR — Maryland fishing report (weekly)
Best fishing times today
Today is an excellent fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
8/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:27 AM · Sunset 6:12 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:13 PM–2:13 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:33 AM–8:33 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:44 PM–6:44 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 8/10Excellent | Major 12:13 PM–2:13 PM Minor 7:33 AM–8:33 AM · 5:44 PM–6:44 PM Light wind 1–6 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 12:41 AM–2:41 AM · 1:11 PM–3:11 PM Minor 8:50 AM–9:50 AM · 6:26 PM–7:26 PM Light wind 4–7 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 2/10Poor | Major 1:42 AM–3:42 AM · 2:14 PM–4:14 PM Minor 10:06 AM–11:06 AM · 7:18 PM–8:18 PM Calm wind 2–5 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:46 AM–4:46 AM · 3:18 PM–5:18 PM Minor 11:16 AM–12:16 PM · 8:20 PM–9:20 PM Calm wind 0–5 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 3:50 AM–5:50 AM · 4:22 PM–6:22 PM Minor 12:16 PM–1:16 PM · 9:31 PM–10:31 PM Calm wind 4–4 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:53 AM–6:53 AM · 5:22 PM–7:22 PM Minor 1:05 PM–2:05 PM · 10:46 PM–11:46 PM Light wind 2–6 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 4:50 AM–6:50 AM · 5:17 PM–7:17 PM Minor 12:43 PM–1:43 PM · 10:59 PM–11:59 PM Light wind 2–6 mph |
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) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| 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)
| 3 |
| Today | 8, rounded | 8/10 |
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 by USGS at Patuxent R at Gov Bridge Natural Area nr Bowie MD, 1 mi away. 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 38.96, -76.69 (moon times from astronomical equations, Patuxent River near Bowie local time).
Weather & wind at Patuxent River near Bowie
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon71° / 48°SunnyWind W 6 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday68° / 46°SunnyWind NE 7 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday67° / 48°Mostly SunnyWind E 5 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 38.956, -76.694 (grid LWX), issued Oct 26, 10:54 AM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge BOWM2- Action stage17 ft+12.7 ft from now
- Minor stage19 ft+14.7 ft from now
- Record crest27.9 ft1972
October 26 in history
49 years of flow records- Today127 cfs
- Same date last year105 cfs2025
- Median168 cfs
- Normal range130 cfs – 362 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19781,080 cfs2006
- Lowest since 197884.0 cfs1987
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 128 | -1% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 129 | +0% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 129 | -7% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 138 | +1% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 137 | -4% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 143 | -5% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 151 | -12% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 172 | -30% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 245 | -20% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 306 | +90% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Patapsco River near Elkridge19 mi · River62.9 cfs97% of normal
- Patapsco River near Catonsville21 mi · River59.4 cfs97% of normal
- Lake Serene39 mi · Lake · Edgewood52.89 ft24h ±0.00 ft
- Potomac River at Edwards Ferry near Poolesville,md43 mi · River3.63 ftstage 3.63 ft
- Monocacy River near Dickerson45 mi · River220 cfsstage 1.39 ft
- Monocacy River at Jug Bridge near Frederick47 mi · River157 cfs70% of normal
Tidal water nearby
This gauge is 7 mi from NOAA tide station Gingerville Creek, South River, MD. Where the river is tidal, its level rises and falls twice a day with the tide as well as with the flow shown here — see Gingerville Creek, South River, MD tide times on TideCharts USA.
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 01594440 — Patuxent River Near Bowie, Md
- Location
- 38.9559, -76.6937 · Maryland
- Drainage area
- 348 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1978–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 11:45 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 12:50 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge BOWM2 — 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.