Fryingpan River level at Basalt
Colorado · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 09080400 — FRYINGPAN RIVER NEAR RUEDI, CO. · NWS forecast point RUDC2
Reading taken · as of 48 min ago
Low and clear — wadeable, and fish will be spooky
At 70 CFS, this gauge is running 35% of normal for mid-September — below the 199 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 57 years of record (1969–2026). The stage is 1.8 ft below the NWS action stage of 3.0 ft.
Sponsor Fryingpan River
One exclusive sponsor per river, on every gauge page for it.
Cancel anytime · Questions?
Flood stages at Basalt
National Weather Service categories for gauge RUDC2, WFO GJT. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Major flood 8.0 ft
-
Moderate flood 5.5 ft
-
Minor flood 3.4 ft
-
Action 3.0 ft
- Right now 1.18 ft
NWS forecast: 1.16 ft by .
Flow history at Basalt
Daily values from USGS 09080400, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for RUDC2 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Basalt
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 5.16 ft | 2,690 CFS | Jun 18, 1965 |
| 3.89 ft | 1,390 CFS | Jun 24, 1983 |
| 3.82 ft | 1,720 CFS | May 26, 1967 |
| 3.61 ft | 1,200 CFS | Jun 15, 1985 |
| 3.57 ft | 1,140 CFS | Jul 4, 1984 |
| 3.56 ft | 1,110 CFS | Jul 11, 1995 |
| 3.50 ft | 1,400 CFS | Sep 16, 1976 |
| 3.48 ft | 1,130 CFS | May 29, 1993 |
| 3.43 ft | 1,000 CFS | Jun 3, 1997 |
| 3.38 ft | 965 CFS | May 1, 1991 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Fryingpan River at Basalt
In Colorado — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. Ruedi Dam tailwater; the Toilet Bowl.
Fryingpan River at Basalt — common questions
3 questions
What makes the flow change on Fryingpan River at Basalt?
Rain upstream, plus seasonal baseflow. The 12-month chart shows how it behaves through the year.
Is Fryingpan River at Basalt high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 199 CFS, from 57 years of record (1969–2026). Today is 35% of it. The comparison is what makes the raw number mean anything: the same reading is a drought on one river and a flood on another.
How often does this reading update?
USGS transmits from gauge 09080400 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for RUDC2 a few times a day — more often when the river is rising. This page refreshes from both when you open it. The timestamp is in the gauge's local time.