8 USGS Streamgages
Carson River flows and levels
Carson River is gauged at 8 USGS streamgages in Nevada, each tracked by Rivermatics. The mainstem runs about 194 miles (312 km) from headwaters to outlet. It drains roughly 1,674 square miles at its outlet. The gauged reach falls about 750 feet, from 4,670 feet down to 3,920. Rivermatics issues a daily machine-learned 14-day flow outlook at 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson River near Genoa, NV | NV | 672 | 4,670 | 433.3 | 26.2 | 14-day |
| Carson River near Carson City, NV | NV | 886 | 4,621 | 496.9 | 71.2 | 14-day |
| Carson River at Deer Run Rd near Carson City, NV | NV | 958 | 4,576 | 540.5 | 42.2 | 14-day |
| Carson River at Dayton, NV | NV | 1,090 | 4,350 | 422.4 | 32.8 | — |
| Carson River above Sixmile Cyn Creek below Dayton, NV | NV | 1,121 | 4,295 | 670.7 | 31.1 | 14-day |
| Carson River near Fort Churchill, NV | NV | 1,302 | 4,180 | 473.3 | 72.8 | 14-day |
| Carson River below Lahontan Reservoir near Fallon, NV | NV | 1,801 | 4,040 | 603.8 | 865.6 | 14-day |
| Carson River at Tarzyn Rd near Fallon, NV | NV | — | 3,920 | 9.1 | 12.8 | 14-day |
Typical flow by month at Carson River at Tarzyn Rd near Fallon, NV
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 42 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 | 1.6 | 5.4 | 18.7 | |
| February | 1.6 | 5.1 | 36.5 | |
| March | 1.5 | 5.3 | 320.2 | |
| April | 2.5 | 9.1 | 506 | |
| May | 4.2 | 11.3 | 442.5 | |
| June | 4.4 | 11.3 | 282.1 | |
| July | 4.3 | 12.8 | 74.1 | |
| August | 5.3 | 13.1 | 29.3 | |
| September | 3.4 | 10.7 | 20.8 | |
| October | 2.7 | 8.2 | 17.8 | |
| November | 2.2 | 6.9 | 19.9 | |
| December | 1.7 | 5.8 | 20.3 |
All values in cubic feet per second (cfs).
Common questions
- When does the Carson River run highest?
- August, on the long-term record at Carson River at Tarzyn Rd near Fallon, NV — the furthest-downstream gauge Rivermatics tracks on this river. Median daily flow there is about 13.1 cfs that month, against 5.1 cfs in February, 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 Carson River?
- Rivermatics tracks 8 USGS streamgages on the Carson River, across Nevada. 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 Carson River?
- Yes, at 7 of the 8 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.
- Can I use Carson 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.