Salmon River at White Bird, ID
Central Idaho (Salmon River) · USGS gauge 13317000 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 3 Salmon River gauges in Idaho
Reading time: Oct 24, 1:45 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
- 23rd percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 4,080–5,400 cfs
- Median for this date
- 4,700 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 3,690 / 4,040 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Salmon River at White Bird is flowing at 4,040 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 1:45 PM PDT. That is on the low side for this time of year: lower than about 77% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 115 years of record (1910–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 4,080 to 5,400 cfs, with a median of 4,700 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 3,406 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 6,140 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+5.5%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 3,690 to 4,040 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 Salmon River at White Bird fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Salmon River at White Bird is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 4,040 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 23rd percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 1:45 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 Salmon River at White Bird?
4,040 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 13317000 as of Oct 24, 1:45 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Salmon River at White Bird too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (4,080 to 5,400 cfs).
Is the Salmon River at White Bird rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+5.5%).
What is a normal flow for the Salmon River at White Bird in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 4,700 cfs and the middle half of days runs 4,080 to 5,400 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 | 3,799 | 22nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 3,786 | 21st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 3,746 | 19th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 3,715 | 17th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 3,692 | 17th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 3,808 | 19th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 3,990 | 22nd | 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 115 years of USGS daily data (1910–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 13317000 (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-13317000
- USGS name
- Salmon River At White Bird Id
- Drainage area
- 13,421 sq mi
- Location
- 45.7503, -116.3239
- Record in this analysis
- 1910–2026
Nearby gauges
- South Fork Clearwater River at Stites, ID Fishable/Floatable 246 cfs · about 29 mi away (straight line)
- Lochsa River near Lowell, ID Fishable/Floatable 421 cfs · about 45 mi away (straight line)
- Clearwater River at Spalding, ID Fishable/Floatable 3,200 cfs · about 54 mi away (straight line)
- Grande Ronde River at Troy, OR Fishable/Floatable 719 cfs · about 56 mi away (straight line)
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