When does South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO normally run highest?

June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 236.6 cfs, against 11.6 cfs in January, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.

What is a normal flow for South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO?

It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 11.6 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 4 and 26.7 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.

How long has South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO been measured?

Discharge records at USGS site 06700000 begin in 1924, about 102 years, covering roughly 4,379 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.

Is there a flow forecast for South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO?

Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.

Where is South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO?

The gauge sits at 39.16278, -105.30972, in Colorado, in hydrologic subbasin 10190002, at an elevation of about 6,908 feet, draining roughly 1,627 square miles.

Can I use South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO data for flood or safety decisions?

No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.

USGS Streamgage 06700000

South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO

South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO is USGS streamgage 06700000 in Colorado, monitoring river discharge in hydrologic subbasin 10190002. It sits on the South Platte River, alongside 8 other gauges Rivermatics tracks on the same river. It drains a watershed of about 1,627 square miles. Discharge records at this site go back to 1924. Typical flow runs near 231.5 cfs in July and 113.9 cfs in April, with the higher of the two arriving in July. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned flow outlook for this gauge, reaching 14 days ahead.

View live conditions & forecast →

Gauge details

State: Colorado
Drainage area: 1,627 sq mi
Gauge elevation: 6,908 ft
Subbasin (HUC-8): 10190002
Coordinates: 39.16278, -105.30972
USGS site number: 06700000
Records begin: 1924-10-01 (102 years)
Rivermatics forecast: 14-day flow outlook

14-day flow forecast

Based on observations through September 10 for South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO. Each day carries a median estimate and the band the model expects the flow to fall within — not a single number to plan against. Forecasts are re-issued daily; see the live screen for the current outlook.

Forecast daily mean discharge in cubic feet per second, by date
Date	Low p10	Expected p50	High p90
September 11	66.2	70.3	73.5
September 12	63.9	69.6	76
September 13	60.5	68.4	75.5
September 14	57.5	68	77.1
September 15	57.3	68.7	79.1
September 16	55.6	69.3	81.8
September 17	54.2	69.1	82
September 18	49.2	67.2	80.3
September 19	46.6	65.9	79.8
September 20	44	64.8	79.8
September 21	41.3	63.9	79.4
September 22	41.6	63.7	80.2
September 23	41	63.1	80.1
September 24	41.8	63.2	80.6

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs). Estimates only — do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision.

Typical flow by month

Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 101 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.

Historical monthly discharge percentiles in cubic feet per second
Month	Low p10	Typical p50	High p90
January	4	11.6	26.7
February	4.8	13.8	40.2
March	14.6	45.2	91
April	51.5	113.9	267.6
May	73.8	155.2	350
June	85	236.6	602.3
July	78.1	231.5	564.7
August	75.1	200.9	473
September	40.3	118.8	252.1
October	15.3	56.4	214.1
November	10.4	43.2	146.2
December	2.8	20.2	49

All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).

Common questions

When does South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO normally run highest?: June, on the long-term record. The median daily flow that month is about 236.6 cfs, against 11.6 cfs in January, the lowest month. These are historical normals for the date, not a forecast and not today's reading.
What is a normal flow for South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO?: It depends on the month. In January, half of days historically fall near 11.6 cfs, with the middle 80% of days between 4 and 26.7 cfs. The month-by-month table on this page gives the full range.
How long has South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO been measured?: Discharge records at USGS site 06700000 begin in 1924, about 102 years, covering roughly 4,379 days of published daily values. The long record is what makes the monthly percentiles on this page meaningful.
Is there a flow forecast for South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO?: Yes. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on this basin's observed flows, weather, and snowpack, and issues a daily flow outlook reaching 14 days ahead: a median estimate inside a confidence band, not a single number to bet on. Every forecast is scored against days the model never trained on, and that track record is published on the live gauge screen. Open live conditions to see the current outlook.
Where is South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO?: The gauge sits at 39.16278, -105.30972, in Colorado, in hydrologic subbasin 10190002, at an elevation of about 6,908 feet, draining roughly 1,627 square miles.
Can I use South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO data for flood or safety decisions?: No. Rivermatics provides estimates, not guarantees, and the readings and forecasts here may be delayed, inaccurate, or wrong. Do not use them for navigation or for any safety, rescue, or emergency decision. Check the National Weather Service and USGS directly, and use your own judgment.

Upstream and downstream on the South Platte River

Every gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river, ordered by drainage area — upstream first. See the South Platte River in full.

South Platte River above Cheesman Lake, CO this page
South Platte River below Brush Creek near Trumbull, CO 2,028 sq mi
South Platte River below Union Ave, at Englewood,C 3,098 sq mi
South Platte River at Englewood, CO 3,391 sq mi
South Platte River at 64Th Ave. Commerce City, CO 3,895 sq mi
South Platte River at Fort Lupton, CO 5,043 sq mi
South Platte River at Fort Morgan, CO 14,648 sq mi
South Platte River at Roscoe, Nebr. 23,900 sq mi
South Platte River above Strontia Springs Reservoir, CO