Nooksack River at Ferndale, WA

North Cascades & Puget Sound · USGS gauge 12213100 · Updated Oct 24, 3:19 AM PDT · USGS data, provisional

Too low394 cfs● steady (-7% in 24 h)

Reading time: Oct 24, 2:30 AM 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 394 cubic feet per second (cfs) as of Oct 24, 2:30 AM 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 steady (-6.6%). 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.

7-day trend

316416516617717Sun 10/18Mon 10/19Tue 10/20Wed 10/21Thu 10/22Fri 10/23Sat 10/24

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 cfsPercentileStatus that day
Sun Oct 186323rdToo low
Mon Oct 195161stToo low
Tue Oct 20471<1stToo low
Wed Oct 21444<1stToo low
Thu Oct 22435<1stToo low
Fri Oct 23404<1stToo low
Sat Oct 24 (so far)394<1stToo low

Seasonal context

1002005001,0002,0005,00010,00020,00050,000100,000JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

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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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

salmonsteelhead

Notes: Lower Nooksack; glacier and rain fed. (Hand-written general note, not from USGS data.)

Data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Readings are provisional and subject to revision. Flowcast statuses are automated comparisons with each gauge's own history, not safety ratings or fishing reports. Check local conditions, weather, regulations and closures before you go. Rivers can change quickly.

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