Cheat River at Albright
River flow & level · USGS gauge 03070260 · West Virginia · drains 1,046 sq mi
Latest reading Oct 26, 3:45 PM · streamflow
The Cheat River at Albright is running 967 cfs, 158% of the median flow for October 26 (613 cfs, 17 years). Gage height is 11.35 ft, 15.7 ft below flood stage (27.0 ft). Flow is down 11% from 24 hours ago.
Whitewater: Cheat River
for rafters & kayakersCheat Canyon (Albright to Jenkinsburg Bridge)
LowClass III–IV+ · 9.5 mi · 25 ft/mi gradient · Put-in: Put In - Muddy Creek, Friends of the Cheat Access
Low from 10.7 · good 11.5–14.5 · too high above 18 ft
Now: 11.35 ft on this gauge (gage height). Runnable range: American Whitewater, reach 2347.
54°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 Oct 26, 3:45 PM at this gauge.
Free-flowing: the Cheat Canyon runs on rain and snowmelt, mostly in spring. 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 (24.0 ft) is 12.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMinor (27.0 ft) is 15.7 ft above the latest reading, off this chartModerate (30.0 ft) is 18.6 ft above the latest reading, off this chartMajor (32.0 ft) is 20.6 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Reading
Cheat River at Albright fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETWater 54°F, flow 158% of normal, flow steady — good fall fishing day (6/10), best window 7:47 AM–8:47 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp54°Fmeasured Oct 26, 3:45 PM · this gauge
- Flow158% of normalFlow steady (-11% in 24 h)
Official West Virginia fishing report: West Virginia DNR — Lake & stream fishing conditions
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
6/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:40 AM · Sunset 6:23 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon underfoot12:25 PM–2:25 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:47 AM–8:47 AMSunrise
- Moonrise5:55 PM–6:55 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 6/10Good | Major 12:25 PM–2:25 PM Minor 7:47 AM–8:47 AM · 5:55 PM–6:55 PM |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 4/10Fair | Major 12:54 AM–2:54 AM · 1:23 PM–3:23 PM Minor 9:04 AM–10:04 AM · 6:36 PM–7:36 PM |
| WedOct 28 | 2/10Poor | Major 1:54 AM–3:54 AM · 2:26 PM–4:26 PM Minor 10:21 AM–11:21 AM · 7:28 PM–8:28 PM |
| ThuOct 29 | 4/10Fair | Major 2:58 AM–4:58 AM · 3:31 PM–5:31 PM Minor 11:31 AM–12:31 PM · 8:31 PM–9:31 PM |
| FriOct 30 | 3/10Poor | Major 4:03 AM–6:03 AM · 4:34 PM–6:34 PM Minor 12:31 PM–1:31 PM · 9:42 PM–10:42 PM |
| SatOct 31 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:05 AM–7:05 AM · 5:34 PM–7:34 PM Minor 1:19 PM–2:19 PM · 10:56 PM–11:56 PM |
| SunNov 1 | 4/10Fair | Major 5:03 AM–7:03 AM · 5:30 PM–7:30 PM Minor 12:57 PM–1:57 PM · 11:11 PM–12:11 AM |
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)
| 1 |
| Today | 6, rounded | 6/10 |
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 39.49, -79.64 (moon times from astronomical equations, Cheat River at Albright local time).
Flood stages
NOAA NWS gauge ABRW2- Action stage24 ft+12.7 ft from now
- Minor stage27 ft+15.7 ft from now
- Moderate stage30 ft+18.6 ft from now
- Major stage32 ft+20.6 ft from now
- Record crest27.23 ft2017
October 26 in history
17 years of flow records- Today967 cfs
- Same date last year216 cfs2025
- Median613 cfs
- Normal range273 cfs – 1,440 cfs25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 19972,400 cfs1997
- Lowest since 1997168 cfs2021
Last 10 days
| Date | Mean flow (cfs) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 1,018 | -9% |
| Sun Oct 25 | 1,120 | -13% |
| Sat Oct 24 | 1,290 | -15% |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,520 | -16% |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,810 | -19% |
| Wed Oct 21 | 2,230 | -22% |
| Tue Oct 20 | 2,850 | -26% |
| Mon Oct 19 | 3,840 | -30% |
| Sun Oct 18 | 5,490 | -23% |
| Sat Oct 17 | 7,110 | -10% |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Deep Creek Lake18 mi · Lake · Thayerville2,458.09 ft24h +0.01 ft
- Cheat Lake19 mi · Lake · Stewartstown869.33 ft24h −0.02 ft
- Monongahela River L&d8 (lower Pool) @ Point Marion21 mi · River10.55 ftstage 10.55 ft
- Tygart Lake24 mi · Lake · Grafton1,062.50 ft−9.71 ft vs full pool
- Youghiogheny River Lake26 mi · Lake · Dam near Confluence1,437.87 ft−0.48 ft vs full pool
- Youghiogheny River at Youghiogheny River Dam26 mi · River542 cfs99% of normal
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 03070260 — Cheat River At Albright, Wv
- Location
- 39.4948, -79.6445 · West Virginia
- Drainage area
- 1,046 sq mi
- Measures
- Streamflow (discharge), cubic feet per second
- Daily statistics
- 1997–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 3:45 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge ABRW2 — 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.