North Fork Red River level at Altus Dam
Oklahoma · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 07303000 — North Fork Red River blw Altus Dam nr Lugert, OK · NWS forecast point LGTO2
Reading taken · as of 18 min ago
High and likely stained — not a wading flow
At 3.4 CFS, this gauge is running 1,545% of normal for mid-September — above the 0.2 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 48 years of record (1978–2026).
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Flow history at Altus Dam
Daily values from USGS 07303000, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for LGTO2 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Altus Dam
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 16.37 ft | 12,900 CFS | May 21, 1977 |
| 15.79 ft | 9,410 CFS | May 28, 2019 |
| 13.76 ft | 5,500 CFS | May 29, 1987 |
| 13.51 ft | 5,440 CFS | May 9, 1993 |
| 13.26 ft | 6,380 CFS | May 29, 1978 |
| 13.26 ft | 5,860 CFS | Apr 28, 1997 |
| 13.04 ft | 4,060 CFS | May 9, 2019 |
| 12.93 ft | 4,830 CFS | Jun 1, 1990 |
| 12.70 ft | 16,100 CFS | May 18, 1951 |
| 11.89 ft | 4,920 CFS | Jun 14, 1989 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About North Fork Red River at Altus Dam
In Oklahoma, below Lake Altus-Lugert. Releases can change the flow by hundreds of CFS in an hour with no rain in the basin — check it the morning you go, not the night before.
Reservoir feeding this stretch
Flow here is set by releases from Lake Altus-Lugert. A full pool usually means more water on its way down.
North Fork Red River at Altus Dam — common questions
3 questions
How do releases from Lake Altus-Lugert affect this stretch?
Directly and fast. When the dam generates, flow here can climb by an order of magnitude within the hour, with no rain anywhere in the basin. That sudden release is the real hazard on a tailwater. The pool level is on lakelvl.com, linked below.
Is North Fork Red River at Altus Dam high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 0.2 CFS, from 48 years of record (1978–2026). Today is 1,545% 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 07303000 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for LGTO2 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.