Fall River at Fredonia
Kansas · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 07169500 — FALL R AT FREDONIA, KS · NWS forecast point FRNK1
Reading taken Jul 29, 12:00 AM UTC
High and likely stained — not a wading flow
At 69 CFS, this gauge is running 223% of normal for late July — above the 31 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 87 years of record (1939–2026).
Data-derived guidance from USGS and NWS published values — not official advice, and not a safety assessment.
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Flood stages at Fredonia
Official National Weather Service categories for gauge FRNK1, issued by WFO ICT. Impact statements are the NWS's own wording for this location, reproduced verbatim.
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Major flood 36.0 ft
- 36.0 ft Highway 96 begins to flood just 1 mile south of Fredonia near the gage site.
- 37.0 ft Flood waters begin to enter residential homes southwest of the river bridge located 1 mile south of Fredonia off of Highway 96.
- 41.0 ft The Highway 96 Bridge at the gage site takes on 1 ft of flood waters and the road north of the bridge floods 2.5 ft deep. Residential homes southwest of the river gage site, 1 south of Fredonia, experience 4 ft of flood waters into main floor of homes.
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Moderate flood 27.0 ft
- 27.0 ft Flood waters begin to encroach on residential homes and floods half of yards along the south bank of river located 1 mile south of Fredonia off of Highway 96.
- 29.0 ft Flood waters reach within 50 feet of residential homes along the south bank located 1 mile south of Fredonia off of Highway 96.
- 32.0 ft Flood waters reach within 20 feet of residential homes along the south bank of river located 1 mile south of Fredonia off of Highway 96.
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Minor flood 17.0 ft
- 17.0 ft Flood waters backup into residential yards located 1 mile south of Fredonia near the gage site off of Highway 96. Expect bank overflows on both banks.
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Action 15.0 ft · 6,425 CFS
- Right now 3.28 ft
12 months of flow at Fredonia
Daily values from USGS gauge 07169500. Provisional data, subject to revision.
Highest crests on record at Fredonia
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 41.12 ft | 77,800 CFS | Jun 30, 2007 |
| 36.17 ft | 49,000 CFS | Apr 16, 1945 |
| 35.00 ft | 44,000 CFS | Apr 19, 1927 |
| 34.00 ft | 39,500 CFS | Jun 16, 1923 |
| 33.90 ft | 39,000 CFS | Oct 2, 1927 |
| 33.32 ft | 34,000 CFS | May 20, 1943 |
| 33.30 ft | 36,000 CFS | Jul 31, 1904 |
| 33.29 ft | 38,800 CFS | Apr 23, 1944 |
| 32.26 ft | 32,800 CFS | Oct 3, 1986 |
| 31.94 ft | 31,000 CFS | Apr 28, 1994 |
Historical crests published by the National Weather Service for this gauge.
About Fall River at Fredonia
This gauge sits on Fall River at Fredonia, Kansas, immediately below Fall River Lake. Flow here is controlled by releases from the dam, so it can change by hundreds of CFS within an hour with no rain anywhere in the basin — check it before you go, not the day before.
Raw CFS means little on its own, so every reading on this page is shown against the USGS median for the same calendar day — 31 CFS for late July, from 87 years of record.
Because the National Weather Service also operates a forecast point here, the page carries the official flood-category ladder and the NWS's own stage-by-stage impact statements.
Reservoir feeding this stretch
Flow at this gauge is set by releases from Fall River Lake. A full pool usually means more water is on its way down.
Fall River at Fredonia — common questions
What is the current flow on Fall River at Fredonia?
As of the last reading on this page, Fall River at Fredonia was running 69 CFS at a gage height of 3.28 ft, or 223% of the USGS median for this date. The number updates automatically from USGS gauge 07169500, which reports every 15 to 60 minutes.
Is that high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for late July at this gauge is 31 CFS, calculated from 87 years of record (1939–2026). Comparing today's reading against that median is the only way a raw CFS number tells you anything — 200 CFS is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from this gauge every 15 to 60 minutes. This page bakes in the most recent reading when it is rebuilt, then refreshes live from USGS when you open it. Readings are provisional and subject to revision by USGS.
Is Fall River at Fredonia wadeable right now?
That depends on the reach and on your own judgement — riverlvl will not tell you the water is safe to stand in. What it will tell you is whether today's flow is unusually high or low for the date, against a seasonal median of 31 CFS, which is the single most useful input to that decision. On a dam tailwater like this one, the bigger risk is a sudden generation release, which can raise the river several feet with little warning.
How do releases from Fall River Lake affect this stretch?
Directly and quickly. When the dam generates or spills, flow at this gauge climbs — often within an hour, often by an order of magnitude. The reservoir level itself is tracked on lakelvl.com, and the link on this page goes straight to it, so you can see whether the pool is high enough that releases are likely.
Where does this data come from?
Flow and gage height are public-domain USGS data from gauge 07169500. Flood categories, impact statements and the forecast come from the NOAA / National Weather Service National Water Prediction Service, gauge FRNK1. riverlvl adds the seasonal comparison and plain-English summary; it is not an official source and does not issue warnings.