Quinault River at Quinault Lake, WA
Olympic Peninsula · USGS gauge 12039500 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
Reading time: Oct 24, 2:30 PM PDT · Provisional data
Flow is far below normal for the date. Expect shallow riffles and slower water; some stretches may be hard to float and fish can be stressed by low flows. Check local reports for the specific stretch.
- Vs. normal for this date
- 4th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 955–3,690 cfs
- Median for this date
- 2,020 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 339 / 461 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Quinault River at Quinault Lake is flowing at 372 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:30 PM PDT. That is among the lowest flows on record for this time of year: lower than about 96% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 115 years of record (1911–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 955 to 3,690 cfs, with a median of 2,020 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 498 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 6,860 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+8.1%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 339 to 461 cfs.
Why this status: Flow is at or below the seasonal 10th percentile and in the lower 40% of all days on record.
Quick answers
Is the Quinault River at Quinault Lake fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Quinault River at Quinault Lake is “Too low”: flow is 372 cfs, well below normal for the date, at the 4th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 2:30 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 Quinault River at Quinault Lake?
372 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12039500 as of Oct 24, 2:30 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Quinault River at Quinault Lake too high or too low right now?
It is on the low side: below the typical range for the date (955 to 3,690 cfs).
Is the Quinault River at Quinault Lake rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+8.1%).
What is a normal flow for the Quinault River at Quinault Lake in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 2,020 cfs and the middle half of days runs 955 to 3,690 cfs, over 115 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 | 435 | 9th | Too low |
| Mon Oct 19 | 423 | 8th | Too low |
| Tue Oct 20 | 409 | 7th | Too low |
| Wed Oct 21 | 399 | 6th | Too low |
| Thu Oct 22 | 389 | 5th | Too low |
| Fri Oct 23 | 376 | 4th | Too low |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 361 | 4th | Too low |
Seasonal context
Shaded band: 10th–90th percentile of daily flows through the year; dashed line: median. Log scale. Dot: today's flow. Based on 115 years of USGS daily data (1911–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 12039500 (USGS: live readings, history, station details)
- Washington fishing regulations (WDFW)
- Emergency fishing rule changes (WDFW)
- WDFW fishing and stocking reports
Agency notices that mention this river
- “Upper Quinault River closing to all fishing” (WDFW emergency rules)
Copied from the WDFW emergency rules page as of Oct 24, 2:40 PM PDT. They match on the river's name only and may concern a different stretch. Open the page for the details.
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-12039500
- USGS name
- Quinault River At Quinault Lake, Wa
- Drainage area
- 264 sq mi
- Location
- 47.4576, -123.8893
- Record in this analysis
- 1911–2026
Nearby gauges
- Wynoochee River above Save Creek, near Aberdeen, WA Too low 190 cfs · about 16 mi away (straight line)
- Queets River near Clearwater, WA Too low 542 cfs · about 21 mi away (straight line)
- North Fork Skokomish River below Staircase Rapids, near Hoodsport, WA Too low 46.2 cfs · about 26 mi away (straight line)
- Hoh River at US Highway 101, near Forks, WA Too low 305 cfs · about 29 mi away (straight line)
- Skokomish River near Potlatch, WA Fishable/Floatable 327 cfs · about 35 mi away (straight line)
- Bogachiel River near Forks, WA Too low 119 cfs · about 37 mi away (straight line)
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