Sipsey Fork level at Grayson
Alabama · Fishing & wading
Measured at USGS 02450250 — SIPSEY FORK NEAR GRAYSON AL · NWS forecast point GRAA1
Reading taken · as of 1 hour ago
High and likely stained — not a wading flow
At 20 CFS, this gauge is running 283% of normal for mid-September — above the 7.2 CFS median USGS has recorded for this date across 59 years of record (1967–2026).
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Flood stages at Grayson
National Weather Service categories for gauge GRAA1, WFO BMX. Impact wording is the NWS's own, verbatim.
-
Minor flood 24.0 ft · 6,500 CFS
- 24.0 ft The lower parking lot at gauge site begins to flood. Damage to vehicles is likely as water continues to rise.
- 38.0 ft Water levels reach the walk bridge and car bridge crossing the river.
- 45.0 ft Water levels are near to the stairs of the upper parking lot. 44.27 is the flood of record.
-
Action 16.0 ft
- 16.0 ft At 16 feet water reaches bankfull and begins minor overflow along sections of the river.
- Right now 2.95 ft
Flow history at Grayson
Daily values from USGS 02450250, updated every 15 to 60 minutes; NWS forecast for GRAA1 reissued through the day. Provisional.
Highest crests on record at Grayson
12 on record
| Stage | Flow | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 44.27 ft | 20,300 CFS | Mar 16, 1973 |
| 41.81 ft | 17,500 CFS | Dec 25, 2015 |
| 38.29 ft | 14,200 CFS | Dec 18, 1967 |
| 36.78 ft | 13,500 CFS | Jan 23, 1999 |
| 36.20 ft | 13,000 CFS | Oct 17, 1975 |
| 33.66 ft | 11,300 CFS | Dec 23, 1990 |
| 33.66 ft | 11,100 CFS | May 19, 1983 |
| 33.54 ft | 11,000 CFS | Mar 4, 1977 |
| 33.48 ft | 11,000 CFS | Dec 30, 1969 |
| 33.37 ft | 10,900 CFS | May 3, 1984 |
Crests published by the National Weather Service.
About Sipsey Fork at Grayson
In Alabama — the reading paddlers, anglers and outfitters here check before committing to a shuttle. Alabama's only year-round trout tailwater.
Sipsey Fork at Grayson — common questions
3 questions
What makes the flow change on Sipsey Fork at Grayson?
Rain upstream, plus seasonal baseflow. The 12-month chart shows how it behaves through the year.
Is Sipsey Fork at Grayson high or low for this time of year?
The USGS median flow for mid-September here is 7.2 CFS, from 59 years of record (1967–2026). Today is 283% 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 02450250 every 15 to 60 minutes, and the National Weather Service reissues the flood forecast for GRAA1 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.