Wenatchee River at Peshastin: Level & Flow Today
River flow & level · USGS gauge 12459000 · Washington · drains 1,000 sq mi
Latest reading Nov 4, 7:15 AM · streamflow
The Wenatchee River at Peshastin is running 346 cfs, 28% of the median flow for November 4 (1,220 cfs, 97 years). Gage height is 1.48 ft, 11.5 ft below flood stage (13.0 ft). Flow is down 1% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Wenatchee River
for rafters & kayakersLeavenworth to Cashmere
Too lowClass III+ · 17 mi · Put-in: Icicle Road Bridge Access · Take-out: Cashmere Riverside Park
Low from 1,500 · good 6,000–14,000 · too high above 20,000 cfs
Now: 346 cfs on this gauge. Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 2267.
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 (12.0 ft) is 10.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (13.0 ft) is 11.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (14.0 ft) is 12.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (15.0 ft) is 13.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Action (12.0 ft) is 10.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (13.0 ft) is 11.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (14.0 ft) is 12.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (15.0 ft) is 13.5 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
ReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
About Wenatchee River at Peshastin
Over the past 12 months, daily mean flow at this gauge ranged from 300 cfs (Oct 25, 2026) to 33,300 cfs (Dec 11, 2025). USGS daily records for this gauge start in 1930; on November 4 the flow has ranged from 300 cfs (1988) to 11,600 cfs (1934). The river drains 1,000 square miles above this gauge. The nearest gauges we track are Skykomish River near Gold Bar (52 mi west). See all 4 Washington river gauges on the Washington lake & river levels page.
Wenatchee River at Peshastin fishing report & conditions
updated Nov 4, 10:34 AM ETFlow 28% of normal, flow steady — fair fall fishing day (4/10), best window 7:19 AM–9:19 AM (moon overhead near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Flow28% of normalFlow steady (-1% in 24 h)
Official Washington fishing report: Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife — Fishing and stocking reports
Best fishing times today
Today is a fair fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
4/10
Waning crescent · 21% lit · New moon Sun, Nov 8 · Sunrise 6:51 AM · Sunset 4:39 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead7:19 AM–9:19 AMSunrise
- Moon underfoot7:41 PM–9:41 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonrise1:17 AM–2:17 AM
- Moonset2:06 PM–3:06 PM
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayNov 4 | 4/10Fair | Major 7:19 AM–9:19 AM · 7:41 PM–9:41 PM Minor 1:17 AM–2:17 AM · 2:06 PM–3:06 PM |
|---|---|---|
| ThuNov 5 | 2/10Poor | Major 8:03 AM–10:03 AM · 8:25 PM–10:25 PM Minor 2:30 AM–3:30 AM · 2:22 PM–3:22 PM |
| FriNov 6 | 3/10Poor | Major 8:47 AM–10:47 AM · 9:09 PM–11:09 PM Minor 3:42 AM–4:42 AM · 2:39 PM–3:39 PM |
| SatNov 7 | 4/10Fair | Major 9:31 AM–11:31 AM · 9:54 PM–11:54 PM Minor 4:55 AM–5:55 AM · 2:57 PM–3:57 PM |
| SunNov 8 | 5/10Fair | Major 10:18 AM–12:18 PM · 10:42 PM–12:42 AM Minor 6:07 AM–7:07 AM · 3:19 PM–4:19 PM |
| MonNov 9 | 5/10Fair | Major 11:06 AM–1:06 PM · 11:31 PM–1:31 AM Minor 7:18 AM–8:18 AM · 3:47 PM–4:47 PM |
| TueNov 10 | 4/10Fair | Major 11:56 AM–1:56 PM Minor 8:27 AM–9:27 AM · 4:21 PM–5:21 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 47.58, -120.62 (moon times from astronomical equations, Wenatchee River at Peshastin local time).
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge PESW1- Action stage12 ft+10.5 ft from now
- Minor stage13 ft+11.5 ft from now
- Moderate stage14 ft+12.5 ft from now
- Major stage15 ft+13.5 ft from now
- Record crest17.89 ft1995
November 4 in history
97 years of flow records- Today346 cfs
- Same date last year2,170 cfs2025
- Median1,220 cfs
- Normal range882 cfs – 2,340 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 193011,600 cfs1934
- Lowest since 1930300 cfs1988
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Nov 4 (today) | 346 | -1% |
| Tue Nov 3 | 350 | -2% |
| Mon Nov 2 | 356 | -3% |
| Sun Nov 1 | 366 | -3% |
| Sat Oct 31 | 376 | -4% |
| Fri Oct 30 | 392 | +1% |
| Thu Oct 29 | 388 | +8% |
| Wed Oct 28 | 360 | +3% |
| Tue Oct 27 | 351 | +5% |
| Mon Oct 26 | 333 | +11% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Lake Chelan at Chelan31 mi northeast · Lake · Chelan1,092.93 ft−1.89 ft vs normal
- Lake Chelan at Stehekin50 mi north · Lake · Stehekin1,092.63 ft24h −0.16 ft
- South Fork Tolt Reservoir50 mi west · Lake · Carnation1,717.04 ft24h −0.27 ft
- Skykomish River near Gold Bar52 mi west · River544 cfs15% of normal
- Lenore Lake52 mi east · Lake · Soap Lake1,076.61 ft+0.79 ft vs normal
- Rufus Woods Lake54 mi northeast · Lake953.00 ft−3.00 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 12459000 — Wenatchee River At Peshastin, Wa
- Location
- 47.5831, -120.6195 · Washington
- Drainage area
- 1,000 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1930–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Nov 4, 7:15 AM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Nov 4, 2026 10:34 AM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge PESW1 — 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.