North Santiam River at Niagara, OR
Willamette Valley & Cascades · USGS gauge 14181500 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
Reading time: Oct 24, 2:30 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
- 20th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 1,400–2,850 cfs
- Median for this date
- 2,240 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 1,220 / 1,600 cfs
Plain-language explanation
North Santiam River at Niagara is flowing at 1,230 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:30 PM PDT. That is on the low side for this time of year: lower than about 80% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 99 years of record (1908–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 1,400 to 2,850 cfs, with a median of 2,240 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 680 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 3,610 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (-3.1%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 1,220 to 1,600 cfs.
Regulated flow: upstream dams or diversions influence this gauge, so the “normal range” above reflects managed flows and can differ from natural river behavior.
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 North Santiam River at Niagara fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the North Santiam River at Niagara is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 1,230 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 20th percentile for this date (as of Oct 24, 2:30 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 North Santiam River at Niagara?
1,230 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 14181500 as of Oct 24, 2:30 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the North Santiam River at Niagara too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (1,400 to 2,850 cfs).
Is the North Santiam River at Niagara rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (-3.1%).
What is a normal flow for the North Santiam River at Niagara in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 2,240 cfs and the middle half of days runs 1,400 to 2,850 cfs, over 99 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 | 1,261 | 22nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 1,274 | 23rd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 1,267 | 22nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 1,270 | 22nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 1,273 | 22nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 1,256 | 21st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 1,239 | 20th | 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 99 years of USGS daily data (1908–2026).
Guide, outfitter or fly shop on this river? List your service on Flowcast (free early listings, launching).
Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 14181500 (USGS: live readings, history, station details)
- Oregon fishing regulations (ODFW)
- Willamette Zone regulations (ODFW)
- In-season Oregon regulation updates (ODFW)
- ODFW Recreation Report (fishing reports)
- Willamette Zone fishing report (ODFW)
- Oregon angling zones and fish district contacts (ODFW)
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-14181500
- USGS name
- North Santiam River At Niagara, Or
- Drainage area
- 453 sq mi
- Location
- 44.7538, -122.2974
- Record in this analysis
- 1908–2026
Typical uses
Notes: Gauge is below dams, so flows are partly regulated. (Hand-written general note, not from USGS data.)
Nearby gauges
- Clackamas River above Three Lynx Creek, OR Too low 588 cfs · about 28 mi away (straight line)
- South Santiam River at Waterloo, OR Fishable/Floatable 1,150 cfs · about 31 mi away (straight line)
- Clackamas River at Estacada, OR Too low 625 cfs · about 38 mi away (straight line)
- Willamette River at Salem, OR Fishable/Floatable 6,910 cfs · about 39 mi away (straight line)
- Molalla River near Canby, OR Too low 53.0 cfs · about 39 mi away (straight line)
- Metolius River near Grandview, OR Fishable/Floatable 1,190 cfs · about 41 mi away (straight line)
Browse this region
Questions about what the status means? How to read a status · FAQ.