Methow River at Winthrop, WA
Eastern Washington · USGS gauge 12448500 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 2 Methow River gauges in Washington
Reading time: Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT · Provisional data
Flow is in a typical range for the date. Rivers are generally easiest to fish and float when they are near their normal flow, but this status says nothing about water clarity, hatches, hazards such as wood in the river, or dam releases.
- Vs. normal for this date
- 10th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 231–338 cfs
- Median for this date
- 279 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 203 / 212 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Methow River at Winthrop is flowing at 206 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT. That is on the low side for this time of year: lower than about 90% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 39 years of record (1912–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 231 to 338 cfs, with a median of 279 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 206 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 531 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+1.5%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 203 to 212 cfs.
Why this status: Flow is within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year (or the deviation is too small in absolute terms to matter).
Quick answers
Is the Methow River at Winthrop fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Methow River at Winthrop is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 206 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 10th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT). That describes flow only. It says nothing about water clarity, temperature, fish activity, access or fishing regulations.
What is the current flow of the Methow River at Winthrop?
206 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12448500 as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Methow River at Winthrop too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (231 to 338 cfs).
Is the Methow River at Winthrop rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (+1.5%).
What is a normal flow for the Methow River at Winthrop in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 279 cfs and the middle half of days runs 231 to 338 cfs, over 39 years of USGS record.
7-day trend
Hourly flow in cfs, Pacific time. The shaded band is the typical range (25th–75th percentile) for this date, shown when it falls within the chart.
| Day (Pacific) | Mean cfs | Percentile | Status that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Oct 18 | 208 | 14th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 207 | 13th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 207 | 13th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 207 | 13th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 207 | 11th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 206 | 10th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 205 | 10th | Fishable/Floatable |
Seasonal context
Shaded band: 10th–90th percentile of daily flows through the year; dashed line: median. Log scale. Dot: today's flow. Based on 39 years of USGS daily data (1912–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 12448500 (USGS: live readings, history, station details)
- Washington fishing regulations (WDFW)
- Emergency fishing rule changes (WDFW)
- WDFW fishing and stocking reports
Links go to the agencies' own websites and were checked as working. Flowcast does not summarize fishing or boating rules: regulations and closures change, and the agency pages are the authority.
About this gauge
- USGS site
- USGS-12448500
- USGS name
- Methow River At Winthrop, Wa
- Drainage area
- 1,007 sq mi
- Location
- 48.4735, -120.1773
- Record in this analysis
- 1912–2026
Typical uses
Notes: Largely free-flowing; snowmelt-driven. (Hand-written general note, not from USGS data.)
Nearby gauges
- Stehekin River at Stehekin, WA Too low 230 cfs · about 26 mi away (straight line)
- Methow River near Pateros, WA Too low 313 cfs · about 29 mi away (straight line)
- Okanogan River near Tonasket, WA Too low 479 cfs · about 35 mi away (straight line)
- Cascade River at Marblemount, WA Too low 150 cfs · about 57 mi away (straight line)
- Skagit River at Marblemount, WA Fishable/Floatable 3,470 cfs · about 57 mi away (straight line)
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