Nooksack River at Ferndale, WA
North Cascades & Puget Sound · USGS gauge 12213100 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
Reading time: Oct 24, 1:30 PM PDT · Provisional data
Flow is far below normal for the date. Expect shallow riffles and slower water; some stretches may be hard to float and fish can be stressed by low flows. Check local reports for the specific stretch.
- Vs. normal for this date
- <1st percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 1,270–4,418 cfs
- Median for this date
- 2,435 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 362 / 671 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Nooksack River at Ferndale is flowing at 405 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 1:30 PM PDT. That is among the lowest flows on record for this time of year: lower than over 99% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 61 years of record (1966–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 1,270 to 4,418 cfs, with a median of 2,435 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 851 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 7,015 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been rising (+11.9%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 362 to 671 cfs.
Why this status: Flow is at or below the seasonal 10th percentile and in the lower 40% of all days on record.
Quick answers
Is the Nooksack River at Ferndale fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Nooksack River at Ferndale is “Too low”: flow is 405 cfs, well below normal for the date, at the <1st percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 1:30 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 Nooksack River at Ferndale?
405 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12213100 as of Oct 24, 1:30 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Nooksack River at Ferndale too high or too low right now?
It is on the low side: below the typical range for the date (1,270 to 4,418 cfs).
Is the Nooksack River at Ferndale rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been rising (+11.9%).
What is a normal flow for the Nooksack River at Ferndale in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 2,435 cfs and the middle half of days runs 1,270 to 4,418 cfs, over 61 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 | 632 | 3rd | Too low |
| Mon Oct 19 | 516 | 1st | Too low |
| Tue Oct 20 | 471 | <1st | Too low |
| Wed Oct 21 | 444 | <1st | Too low |
| Thu Oct 22 | 435 | <1st | Too low |
| Fri Oct 23 | 404 | <1st | Too low |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 395 | <1st | Too low |
Seasonal context
Shaded band: 10th–90th percentile of daily flows through the year; dashed line: median. Log scale. Dot: today's flow. Based on 61 years of USGS daily data (1966–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 12213100 (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-12213100
- USGS name
- Nooksack River At Ferndale, Wa
- Drainage area
- 786 sq mi
- Location
- 48.8448, -122.5893
- Record in this analysis
- 1966–2026
Typical uses
Notes: Lower Nooksack; glacier and rain fed. (Hand-written general note, not from USGS data.)
Nearby gauges
- Skagit River near Mount Vernon, WA Fishable/Floatable 6,940 cfs · about 30 mi away (straight line)
- North Fork Stillaguamish River near Arlington, WA Too low 177 cfs · about 47 mi away (straight line)
- Sauk River near Sauk, WA Too low 634 cfs · about 55 mi away (straight line)
- Skagit River at Marblemount, WA Fishable/Floatable 3,470 cfs · about 57 mi away (straight line)
- Cascade River at Marblemount, WA Too low 150 cfs · about 58 mi away (straight line)
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