Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near Taos: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 08276500 · New Mexico · drains 9,730 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 8:30 AM · streamflow
The Rio Grande at Taos Junction Bridge near Taos is running 2,010 cfs, 565% of the median flow for November 4 (356 cfs, 101 years). Gage height is 5.57 ft, 4.4 ft below flood stage (10.0 ft). Flow is up 44% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Rio Grande
for rafters & kayakersTaos Box (John Dunn Bridge to Taos Junction Bridge)
GoodClass III–IV · 15 mi · 31 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: John Dunn Bridge Put-In · Take-out: Taos Junction Bridge Take-Out
Low from 600 · good 1,200–2,500 · too high above 5,000 cfs
Now: 2,010 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 1227.
Racecourse (Taos Junction Bridge to Quartzite)
RunnableClass II · 6.6 mi · Put-in: Put In: Taos Junction Bridge Boat Ramp · Take-out: Take Out: Quartzite River Access
Low from 200 · too high above 3,000 cfs
Now: 2,010 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 11231.
This gauge does not report water temperature. Dress for the water, not the air: below 70°F a wetsuit or drysuit is recommended.
Flow on this section is natural (snowmelt and rain), not set by a dam release schedule, so check the live reading above before you go. Commercial rafting season depends on runoff. 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 (9.0 ft) is 3.4 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (10.0 ft) is 4.4 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (12.0 ft) is 6.4 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (15.0 ft) is 9.4 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
About Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near Taos
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 132 cfs (Aug 8, 2026) to 4,380 cfs (Oct 28, 2026). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1926; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 180 cfs (2019) to 2,040 cfs (1942). The river drains 9,730 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are Eagle Nest Lake (33 mi northeast) and Nambe Falls Reservoir (34 mi south). See all 2 New Mexico river gauges on the New Mexico lake & river levels page.
Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near Taos fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow 565% of normal, flow rising fast (+44%) — poor fall fishing day (3/10), best window 7:18 AM–9:18 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow565% of normalFlow rising fast (+44% in 24 h) — often muddy, unsettled water
Official New Mexico fishing report: New Mexico Department of Wildlife — Weekly fishing & stocking report
Best fishing times today
Today is a poor fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
3/10
Waning crescent · 21% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 6:29 AM · Sunset 5:03 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:18 AM–9:18 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:40 PM–9:40 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:22 AM–2:22 AM
- Moonset2:04 PM–3:04 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 3/10Poor | Major 7:18 AM–9:18 AM · 7:40 PM–9:40 PM Minor 1:22 AM–2:22 AM · 2:04 PM–3:04 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:02 AM–10:02 AM · 8:24 PM–10:24 PM Minor 2:25 AM–3:25 AM · 2:29 PM–3:29 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:45 AM–10:45 AM · 9:08 PM–11:08 PM Minor 3:28 AM–4:28 AM · 2:54 PM–3:54 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 9:30 AM–11:30 AM · 9:53 PM–11:53 PM Minor 4:31 AM–5:31 AM · 3:22 PM–4:22 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:16 AM–12:16 PM · 10:40 PM–12:40 AM Minor 5:34 AM–6:34 AM · 3:52 PM–4:52 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:04 AM–1:04 PM · 11:29 PM–1:29 AM Minor 6:37 AM–7:37 AM · 4:27 PM–5:27 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:55 AM–1:55 PM Minor 7:38 AM–8:38 AM · 5:08 PM–6:08 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)
| 0 |
| Today | 3, rounded | 3/10 |
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 36.32, -105.75 (moon times from astronomical equations, Rio Grande below Taos Junction Bridge near Taos local time).
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge TJBN5- Action stage9 ft+3.4 ft from now
- Minor stage10 ft+4.4 ft from now
- Moderate stage12 ft+6.4 ft from now
- Major stage15 ft+9.4 ft from now
- Record crest9.41 ft1941
November 4 in history
101 years of flow records- Today2,010 cfs
- Same date last year588 cfs2025
- Median356 cfs
- Normal range275 cfs – 498 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19262,040 cfs1942
- Lowest since 1926180 cfs2019
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 1,917 | +25% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 1,530 | +15% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 1,330 | +1% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 1,320 | -20% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 1,650 | -38% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 2,640 | -33% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 3,940 | -10% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 4,380 | +19% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 3,680 | +53% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 2,410 | +108% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Eagle Nest Lake33 mi northeast · Lake · Eagle Nest8,159.91 ft24h −0.01 ft
- Nambe Falls Reservoir34 mi south · Lake · Nambe6,826.81 ft24h −0.03 ft
- Abiquiu Reservoir38 mi west · Lake6,219.44 ft−10.56 ft vs full pool
- El Vado Lake58 mi west · Lake6,828.87 ft24h +0.27 ft
- Cochiti Lake58 mi southwest · Lake5,356.33 ft+10.86 ft vs full pool
- Heron Reservoir59 mi northwest · Lake7,098.21 ft24h +1.03 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 08276500 — Rio Grande Blw Taos Junction Bridge Near Taos, Nm
- Location
- 36.3200, -105.7544 · New Mexico
- Drainage area
- 9,730 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1926–2026 (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 TJBN5 — 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.