5 USGS Streamgages · Sacramento River system
Bear River flows and levels
Bear River is gauged at 5 USGS streamgages in California, each tracked by Rivermatics. The mainstem runs about 74 miles (119 km) from headwaters to outlet. It drains into the Sacramento River system. Drainage area at the gauges ranges from 1 square miles at Bear River near Emigrant Gap, CA up to 292 at Bear River near Wheatland, CA. The gauged reach falls about 2,527 feet, from 2,600 feet down to 73. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned 14-day flow outlook at 1 of them.
Gauges on this river, upstream to downstream
Ordered by drainage area, which is how far down the river each gauge sits. April and July figures are long-term median daily flows for that month from the USGS record — historical normals, not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Gauge | State | Drainage sq mi | Elevation ft | April p50 cfs | July p50 cfs | Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear River near Emigrant Gap, CA | CA | 1 | — | 16.1 | 8.4 | — |
| Bear River below Drum Afterbay near Blue Canyon, CA | CA | 12 | — | 10.9 | 11 | — |
| Bear River below Dutch Flat Afterbay near Dutch Flat, CA | CA | 22 | 2,600 | 7 | 11.7 | — |
| Bear River below Rollins Dam near Colfax, CA | CA | 105 | 1,927 | 545.4 | 140.6 | — |
| Bear River near Wheatland, CA | CA | 292 | 73 | 546.5 | 18.1 | 14-day |
Typical flow by month at Bear River near Wheatland, CA
The furthest-downstream gauge on this river, so the fullest flow it carries here. Long-term daily discharge percentiles from the USGS record (up to 61 years of data), averaged within each month. These describe the historical normal range — they are not a forecast and not today's reading.
| Month | Low p10 | Typical p50 | High p90 | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.1 | 154.9 | 2,567.7 | |
| February | 13.1 | 682.9 | 2,791.4 | |
| March | 13.6 | 823 | 2,646.8 | |
| April | 24.9 | 546.5 | 1,706.3 | |
| May | 22.2 | 48.2 | 778.9 | |
| June | 13.2 | 33.1 | 205.9 | |
| July | 10.4 | 18.1 | 96.9 | |
| August | 10 | 18.9 | 106.5 | |
| September | 8.5 | 15.1 | 43.1 | |
| October | 5.8 | 13.8 | 29.3 | |
| November | 8.3 | 15.5 | 131.4 | |
| December | 10 | 18.1 | 1,263.7 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does the Bear River run highest?
- March, on the long-term record at Bear River near Wheatland, CA — the furthest-downstream gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river. Median daily flow there is about 823 cfs that month, against 13.8 cfs in October, the lowest. Upstream gauges peak on their own schedule; the table on this page gives April and July for each.
- How many gauges are on the Bear River?
- Rivermatics tracks 5 USGS streamgages on the Bear River, across California. Each has its own page with the site's full flow record and monthly normals. The river may carry other gauges that publish neither daily values nor discharge statistics; those are not tracked here.
- Is there a flow forecast for the Bear River?
- Yes, at 1 of the 5 gauges. Rivermatics trains a machine-learned model — a temporal-fusion transformer — on each basin's observed flows, weather and snowpack, and issues a daily 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 each gauge's live screen.
- What river system is the Bear River part of?
- The Bear River drains into the Sacramento River system — it is a tributary somewhere in that chain, following the flowpath down to its terminal river. Rivermatics builds this from the USGS/geoconnex reference-mainstem network rather than from names.
- Can I use Bear River 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.
Other rivers in the Sacramento River system
- Nf Feather River 4 gauges
- Sf American River 4 gauges
- Hat C 3 gauges
- Mccloud River 3 gauges
- Sf Feather River 3 gauges
- American River 2 gauges
- Canyon C 2 gauges
- M Yuba River 2 gauges