Guadalupe River at Sattler
Texas · Tubing & floating
Measured at USGS 08167800 — Guadalupe Rv at Sattler, TX · NWS forecast point STLT2
Reading taken Jul 28, 11:50 PM UTC
Running thin — a slow, scrapey float
At 151 CFS, this gauge is running 76% of normal for late July — below the 200 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 62 years of record (1964–2026).
Data-derived guidance from USGS and NWS published values — not official advice, and not a safety assessment.
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Flood stages at Sattler
Official National Weather Service categories for gauge STLT2, issued by WFO EWX. Impact statements are the NWS's own wording for this location, reproduced verbatim.
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Major flood 12.0 ft
- 12.0 ft Major flooding makes sections of River Road impassable. The bridge at Gruene is flooded. Sleeping campers, automobiles, and gear on low sections of the Guadalupe River near and above Gruene can be swept downstream.
- 13.0 ft The lowest homes in New Braunfels near Common Street flood. Flow is well over banks flooding much of River Road. Sleeping campers, autos, and gear on the banks near and above Gruene can be swept downstream. The bridge at Gruene is flooded. Flow is within a foot of the city park at Sattler.
- 17.0 ft Major flooding can be deadly in camping facilities along River Road between Canyon Dam and New Braunfels. Campers should evacuate low areas on foot directly away from the river. Do not drive automobiles along River Road. Lowest residences downstream in New Braunfels are threatened and low roads are very dangerous.
- 21.0 ft Disastrous flooding is potentially deadly to camps and motorists along River Road below Canyon Dam. Camps are under up to fifteen feet of turbulent flow. Lowest residences in New Braunfels are threatened and roads are severely flooded and very dangerous.
- 25.0 ft Disastrous life threatening flooding below Canyon Dam can be deadly to campers and motorists along River Road. Flow is near 20 feet deep in lowest camping areas and some sections of River Road. Lowest homes in New Braunfels are flooded. Low roads and bridges are very dangerous to motorists below Canyon Dam to below New Braunfels.
- 29.0 ft Life threatening disastrous flooding reaches slab elevation of the lowest homes in the reach near Sattler. Camp facilities in the Guadalupe River flood plain below Canyon Dam to New Braunfels are disastrously flooded. River Road is impassable and deadly. Evacuations should be on foot directly away from the river and in no circumstances by automobiles. Residential flooding in New Braunfels is disastrous.
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Moderate flood 10.0 ft
- 11.0 ft The low bridge near Gruene is closed. Lowest sections of River Road will experience flooding. Water will approach River Road bridge Crossings 1, 2, 3, and 4 downstream.
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Minor flood 9.0 ft
- 9.0 ft The low bridge near Gruene is closed. Minor lowland flooding approaches the lowest sections of River Road downstream below Sattler.
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Action 8.0 ft
- Right now 4.69 ft
NWS forecast: 4.70 ft by Jul 29, 12:00 AM UTC.
12 months of flow at Sattler
Daily values from USGS gauge 08167800. Provisional data, subject to revision.
Highest crests on record at Sattler
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 39.00 ft | — | Jul 1, 1932 |
| 39.00 ft | — | Jun 1, 1935 |
| 35.55 ft | — | Jul 6, 2002 |
| 33.30 ft | — | Sep 1, 1952 |
| 12.20 ft | 20,800 CFS | Oct 29, 1960 |
Historical crests published by the National Weather Service for this gauge.
About Guadalupe River at Sattler
This gauge sits on Guadalupe River at Sattler, Texas, immediately below Canyon 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.
Below Canyon Dam; biggest tubing/rafting economy in Texas.
Raw CFS means little on its own, so every reading on this page is shown against the USGS median for the same calendar day — 200 CFS for late July, from 62 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 Canyon Lake. A full pool usually means more water is on its way down.
Guadalupe River at Sattler — common questions
What is the current flow on Guadalupe River at Sattler?
As of the last reading on this page, Guadalupe River at Sattler was running 151 CFS at a gage height of 4.69 ft, or 76% of the USGS median for this date. The number updates automatically from USGS gauge 08167800, 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 200 CFS, calculated from 62 years of record (1964–2026). 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.
What flow is good for tubing Guadalupe River?
riverlvl does not publish a recommended tubing range — that call belongs to the outfitters and the local authorities who know this stretch. What this page gives you is the objective input: today's flow, the seasonal median for the same date, and where the reading sits in the 12-month record. Local outfitters generally publish their own cutoffs, and they close when the river is up.
Does rain upstream change this reading quickly?
Less than you would expect. This gauge is below Canyon Lake, so the dominant control is the dam release schedule, not rainfall. A storm in the basin raises the reservoir first; the operator decides when it reaches you.
What does gage height mean versus CFS?
Gage height is how high the water surface is above the gauge's own zero point, in feet — a local measure, not depth and not elevation. CFS is cubic feet per second, the volume of water moving past the gauge. Flood stages are set in gage height; float and paddling conditions are usually discussed in CFS.