South Fork McKenzie River near Rainbow, OR
Willamette Valley & Cascades · USGS gauge 14159500 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
Reading time: Oct 24, 2:20 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)
- 419–1,020 cfs
- Median for this date
- 798 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 287 / 395 cfs
Plain-language explanation
South Fork McKenzie River near Rainbow is flowing at 395 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:20 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 80 years of record (1947–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 419 to 1,020 cfs, with a median of 798 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 275 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 1,200 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+0.0%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 287 to 395 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 South Fork McKenzie River near Rainbow fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the South Fork McKenzie River near Rainbow is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 395 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 23rd percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 2:20 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 South Fork McKenzie River near Rainbow?
395 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 14159500 as of Oct 24, 2:20 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the South Fork McKenzie River near Rainbow too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (419 to 1,020 cfs).
Is the South Fork McKenzie River near Rainbow rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+0.0%).
What is a normal flow for the South Fork McKenzie River near Rainbow in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 798 cfs and the middle half of days runs 419 to 1,020 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 | 330 | 16th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 335 | 17th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 344 | 20th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 341 | 19th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 341 | 19th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 350 | 21st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 356 | 21st | 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 14159500 (USGS: live readings, history, station details)
- Oregon fishing regulations (ODFW)
- Willamette Zone regulations (ODFW)
- In-season Oregon regulation updates (ODFW)
- ODFW Recreation Report (fishing reports)
- Willamette Zone fishing report (ODFW)
- Oregon angling zones and fish district contacts (ODFW)
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-14159500
- USGS name
- South Fork Mckenzie River Near Rainbow, Or
- Drainage area
- 208 sq mi
- Location
- 44.1360, -122.2484
- Record in this analysis
- 1947–2026
Nearby gauges
- McKenzie River near Vida, OR Fishable/Floatable 1,630 cfs · about 11 mi away (straight line)
- McKenzie River below Leaburg Dam, near Leaburg, OR Fishable/Floatable 1,640 cfs · about 19 mi away (straight line)
- Middle Fork Willamette River near Dexter, OR Too low 1,240 cfs · about 32 mi away (straight line)
- South Santiam River at Waterloo, OR Fishable/Floatable 1,150 cfs · about 38 mi away (straight line)
- North Santiam River at Niagara, OR Fishable/Floatable 1,230 cfs · about 43 mi away (straight line)
- Metolius River near Grandview, OR Fishable/Floatable 1,190 cfs · about 51 mi away (straight line)
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