Yakima River at Umtanum, WA
Eastern Washington · USGS gauge 12484500 · Updated Oct 24, 2:37 PM PDT · USGS data, provisional
All 2 Yakima 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
- 30th percentile
- Typical range (25th–75th)
- 608–1,110 cfs
- Median for this date
- 856 cfs
- 7-day low / high
- 647 / 852 cfs
Plain-language explanation
Yakima River at Umtanum is flowing at 647 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT. That is in the normal range for this time of year: lower than about 70% of the daily flows this gauge has recorded for this date (give or take 7 days) over 118 years of record (1908–2026).
The middle half of those historical flows runs from 608 to 1,110 cfs, with a median of 856 cfs; the lowest 10% of days are at or below 455 cfs and the highest 10% at or above 1,530 cfs.
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (-1.4%). In the last 7 days it ranged from 647 to 852 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 Yakima River at Umtanum fishable today?
Flowcast's status for the Yakima River at Umtanum is “Fishable/Floatable”: flow is 647 cfs, within the range this gauge normally sees at this time of year, at the 30th 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 Yakima River at Umtanum?
647 cubic feet per second at USGS gauge 12484500 as of Oct 24, 2:15 PM PDT, provisional data.
Is the Yakima River at Umtanum too high or too low right now?
Neither: it is inside the typical range for the date (608 to 1,110 cfs).
Is the Yakima River at Umtanum rising or falling?
Over the last 24 hours the flow has been steady (-1.4%).
What is a normal flow for the Yakima River at Umtanum in October?
For this date (give or take 7 days) the median is 856 cfs and the middle half of days runs 608 to 1,110 cfs, over 118 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 | 726 | 31st | Fishable/Floatable |
| Mon Oct 19 | 720 | 32nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Tue Oct 20 | 746 | 36th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Wed Oct 21 | 714 | 34th | Fishable/Floatable |
| Thu Oct 22 | 690 | 33rd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Fri Oct 23 | 667 | 32nd | Fishable/Floatable |
| Sat Oct 24 (so far) | 654 | 31st | 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 118 years of USGS daily data (1908–2026).
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Official resources
- USGS site page for gauge 12484500 (USGS: live readings, history, station details)
- Washington fishing regulations (WDFW)
- Emergency fishing rule changes (WDFW)
- WDFW fishing and stocking reports
Agency notices that mention this river
- “Yakima River fall salmon fishery to open” (WDFW emergency rules)
Copied from the WDFW emergency rules page as of Oct 24, 2:40 PM PDT. They match on the river's name only and may concern a different stretch. Open the page for the details.
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-12484500
- USGS name
- Yakima River At Umtanum, Wa
- Drainage area
- 1,594 sq mi
- Location
- 46.8626, -120.4801
- Record in this analysis
- 1908–2026
Typical uses
Notes: Managed by reservoir releases and irrigation diversions, so seasonal flow patterns differ from natural ones. (Hand-written general note, not from USGS data.)
Nearby gauges
- Icicle Creek above Snow Creek, near Leavenworth, WA Too low 70.5 cfs · about 48 mi away (straight line)
- Wenatchee River at Peshastin, WA Too low 304 cfs · about 50 mi away (straight line)
- Cowlitz River at Packwood, WA Too low 242 cfs · about 59 mi away (straight line)
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