River Conditions
Illustrated map of Barren Islands

River stage

Gustavus, Salmon River

River level
9.71 ft
Status
Below flood stage
7-day change
-1.83 ft
Recent high
14.25 ft
Recent low
8.76 ft

Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS SAMA2

30-day change
+0.54 ft
Average
9.79 ft
Readings
121
Data span
122 days
Record crest
17.26 ft

In brief

The Salmon River at Gustavus, AK read 9.71 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 4.79 ft below action stage. That is 0.54 ft higher than 30 days earlier.

Source: National Weather Service gauge SAMA2

Water 44 °F (6 °C) · about normal for this date

River level timeline

8.310.011.813.515.3SEP 13SEP 18SEP 23SEP 28OCT 03OCT 08OCT 13ACTION 14.50 ftHIGH 14.25LOW 9.069.74 ftLAST READING

Stage threshold profile

Action stage 14.50 ftMinor flooding 15.50 ftModerate flooding 16.50 ft CURRENT 9.71 ft

Highest crests on record

RankCrestDate
1 17.26 ft 2020-12-02
2 16.69 ft 2022-01-22
3 16.69 ft 2018-10-15
4 16.58 ft 2017-10-27
5 16.28 ft 2021-08-13
6 15.96 ft 2024-01-30
7 15.89 ft 2019-10-06
8 15.86 ft 2016-09-13

Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.

What happens at each level

  1. 15.50 ft

    Water will begin to flow over Wilson and Rink Creek roads and ditches will be full. Roads will be soft in places and travel across these areas will be difficult.

  2. 16.50 ft

    The Wilson and Rink Creek corridor will have 1-3 feet of water over the road to become impassable in places and structures will begin to flood. Power may be cut off from Chase Drive out to Rink Creek.

  3. 17.00 ft

    Most roads within the Wilson and Rink Creek corridor will sustain significant damage and will be impassable in places with 4 feet or more of water over the roads. Flooding will cause widespread damage to private properties in the area.

Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Salmon River flooding at Gustavus?

No. The Salmon River at Gustavus is at 9.71 ft, 4.79 ft below action stage.

What is the flood stage at Gustavus?

The National Weather Service sets action stage 14.5 ft, minor flooding 15.5 ft and moderate flooding 16.5 ft.

What is the highest the Salmon River has been at Gustavus?

The highest crest on record is 17.26 ft, on 2020-12-02.

Is the Salmon River high or low right now at Gustavus?

At 9.71 ft it is higher than 58% of readings over the last 122 days.

How warm is the water at Gustavus, Salmon River?

The water temperature at Gustavus, Salmon River is 44 °F (6.4 °C), measured 7:15 pm by USGS, which is about average for this date over the past ten years. It has held steady over the last 24 hours.

Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge SAMA2); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 15057596). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.