North Fork Payette River near Banks, ID
Southwest & South-Central Idaho · USGS gauge 13246000 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
Reading time: Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT · Provisional data
Flow is in a typical range for the date. Rivers are generally easiest to fish and float when they are near their normal flow, but this status says nothing about water clarity, hatches, hazards such as wood in the river, or dam releases.
- Vs. normal for this date
- 34th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 253–452 cfs
- Median for this date
- 288 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 242 / 284 cfs
Plain-language explanation
North Fork Payette River near Banks is flowing at 267 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: lower than about 66% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 80 years of record (1947–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 253 to 452 cfs, with a median of 288 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 224 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 896 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (-6.0%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 242 to 284 cfs.
Why this status: Flow is within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year (or the deviation is too small in absolute terms to matter).
Quick answers
Is the North Fork Payette River near Banks fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the North Fork Payette River near Banks is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 267 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 34th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT). That describes flow only. It says nothing about water clarity, temperature, fish activity, access or fishing regulations.
What is the current flow of the North Fork Payette River near Banks?
267 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 13246000 as of Oct 24, 2:00 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the North Fork Payette River near Banks too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (253 to 452 cfs).
Is the North Fork Payette River near Banks rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (-6.0%).
What is a normal flow for the North Fork Payette River near Banks in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 288 cfs and the middle half of days runs 253 to 452 cfs, over 80 years of USGS record.
7-day trend
Hourly flow in cfs, Pacific time. The shaded band is the typical range (25th–75th percentile) for this date, shown when it falls within the chart.
| Day (Pacific) | Mean cfs | Percentile | Status that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Oct 18 | 242 | 15th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 242 | 16th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 243 | 17th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 244 | 19th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 248 | 21st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 278 | 42nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 274 | 40th | Fishable/Floatable |
Seasonal context
Shaded band: 10th–90th percentile of daily flows through the year; dashed line: median. Log scale. Dot: today's flow. Based on 80 years of USGS daily data (1947–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 13246000 (USGS: live readings, history, station details)
- Idaho Fishing Planner: waters, rules, access (IDFG)
Links go to the agencies' own websites and were checked as working. Flowcast does not summarize fishing or boating rules: regulations and closures change, and the agency pages are the authority.
About this gauge
- USGS site
- USGS-13246000
- USGS name
- Nf Payette River Nr Banks Id
- Drainage area
- 921 sq mi
- Location
- 44.1142, -116.1072
- Record in this analysis
- 1947–2026
Nearby gauges
- Boise River at Glenwood Bridge, near Boise, ID Fishable/Floatable 225 cfs · about 32 mi away (straight line)
- Boise River near Twin Springs, ID Fishable/Floatable 416 cfs · about 36 mi away (straight line)
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