Youghiogheny River at Friendsville: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 03076500 · Maryland · drains 295 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 9:45 AM · streamflow
The Youghiogheny River at Friendsville is running 122 cfs, 43% of the median flow for November 4 (281 cfs, 92 years). Gage height is 2.32 ft. Flow is down 5% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Youghiogheny River
for rafters & kayakersUpper Yough (Sang Run to Friendsville)
Too lowClass IV+ · 9.6 mi · 52 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: Sang Run Put-In · Take-out: Friendsville Take-Out
Low from 2.8 · good 3.2–3.7 · too high above 4.25 ft
Now: 2.32 ft on this gauge (gage height). Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 753.
55°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, 9:45 AM at this gauge.
The Upper Yough runs on scheduled releases from Deep Creek Lake (Brookfield Renewable), typically several days a week from spring through fall. 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 Youghiogheny River at Friendsville
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 91.3 cfs (Nov 13, 2025) to 5,530 cfs (May 25, 2026). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1899; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 30.0 cfs (1992) to 1,600 cfs (1986). The river drains 295 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are Youghiogheny River at Youghiogheny River Dam (11 mi north) and Youghiogheny River below Confluence (12 mi north). See all 17 Maryland river gauges on the Maryland lake & river levels page.
Youghiogheny River at Friendsville fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETWater 55°F and warming, flow 43% of normal, flow steady — fair fall fishing day (5/10), best window 7:29 AM–9:29 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp55°Fmeasured Nov 4, 9:45 AM · this gauge · +1° in 24 h
- Flow43% of normalFlow steady (-5% in 24 h)
Official Maryland fishing report: Maryland DNR — Maryland fishing report (weekly)
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
5/10
Waning crescent · 21% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 6:49 AM · Sunset 5:12 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:29 AM–9:29 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:51 PM–9:51 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:29 AM–2:29 AM
- Moonset2:17 PM–3:17 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 5/10Fair | Major 7:29 AM–9:29 AM · 7:51 PM–9:51 PM Minor 1:29 AM–2:29 AM · 2:17 PM–3:17 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:13 AM–10:13 AM · 8:35 PM–10:35 PM Minor 2:36 AM–3:36 AM · 2:40 PM–3:40 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:57 AM–10:57 AM · 9:19 PM–11:19 PM Minor 3:41 AM–4:41 AM · 3:03 PM–4:03 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 9:41 AM–11:41 AM · 10:04 PM–12:04 AM Minor 4:46 AM–5:46 AM · 3:28 PM–4:28 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:27 AM–12:27 PM · 10:51 PM–12:51 AM Minor 5:52 AM–6:52 AM · 3:56 PM–4:56 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:15 AM–1:15 PM · 11:40 PM–1:40 AM Minor 6:57 AM–7:57 AM · 4:29 PM–5:29 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:05 PM–2:05 PM Minor 8:00 AM–9:00 AM · 5:07 PM–6:07 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)
| 2 |
| Today | 5, rounded | 5/10 |
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 39.65, -79.41 (moon times from astronomical equations, Youghiogheny River at Friendsville local time).
November 4 in history
92 years of flow records- Today122 cfs
- Same date last year191 cfs2025
- Median281 cfs
- Normal range147 cfs – 529 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 18991,600 cfs1986
- Lowest since 189930.0 cfs1992
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 202 | +26% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 160 | +24% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 129 | -4% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 134 | -17% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 162 | -21% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 206 | -2% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 211 | +4% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 203 | +19% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 170 | -5% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 179 | -6% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Youghiogheny River Lake10 mi north · Lake · Dam near Confluence1,434.85 ft−3.50 ft vs full pool
- Youghiogheny River at Youghiogheny River Dam11 mi north · River825 cfs152% of normal
- Deep Creek Lake11 mi southeast · Lake · Thayerville2,457.95 ft24h −0.04 ft
- Youghiogheny River below Confluence12 mi north · River1,120 cfs117% of normal
- Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle15 mi north · River1,110 cfs121% of normal
- Cheat River at Albright17 mi southwest · River504 cfs48% of normal
Guides
All guides →- Dam release rafting schedulesOfficial release calendars for the Gauley, Kennebec, Dead, Upper Yough, Deerfield and Lehigh.
- 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.
About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 03076500 — Youghiogheny River At Friendsville, Md
- Location
- 39.6536, -79.4083 · Maryland
- Drainage area
- 295 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1899–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 9:45 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.