Grande Ronde River Basin – Streamflow, Stage & Lake Gages

About the Grande Ronde River Basin

The Grande Ronde Basin, as defined by the Oregon Water Resources Department, covers the far northeast corner of Oregon: the Grande Ronde River, which rises in the Blue Mountains and flows through La Grande and the broad Grande Ronde Valley before cutting a deep canyon north to Washington; the Wallowa River and its Lostine, Bear and Minam tributaries draining the Wallowa Mountains and the Eagle Cap Wilderness; the Imnaha River; and the Oregon side of the Snake River through Hells Canyon. Flows are driven by snowmelt and peak in late spring, while irrigation in the Grande Ronde and Wallowa valleys lowers summer flows below the canyon mouths. The Minam, Wenaha, Grande Ronde, Imnaha and Snake rivers are federal Wild and Scenic Rivers; the Minam-to-Troy float on the Wallowa and Grande Ronde, Wallowa Lake at Joseph and the jet-boat and float trips below Hells Canyon Dam are regional favorites. River Flow Planner covers 22 gages here: USGS records on the Grande Ronde at Troy (since 1944), the Minam River and East Fork Wallowa River (since 1912 and 1924) and the Snake River at Hells Canyon Dam and Johnson Bar; and the Oregon Water Resources Department’s gages on the upper Grande Ronde, Meadow, Five Points and Catherine creeks, the Wallowa and Lostine rivers, Bear Creek and Wallowa Lake.

What River Flow Planner shows for each gage

Each gage page turns the agency’s full daily record into planning tools for fishing, rafting, kayaking, swimming, boating, irrigation and in-stream work:

• Summary hydrograph of typical flows, river stages or lake levels through the year
• Percent of time flows fall within a range you choose
• Likely range of flows on future dates you pick
• How a recent period compares with normal, plus a year-by-year spaghetti plot
• Flood frequency statistics for USGS gages with peak-flow records
• CSV downloads and links to current real-time data and short-term forecasts

Upper Grande Ronde River

The Grande Ronde River and its Blue Mountains tributaries above La Grande, listed upstream to downstream.

Catherine Creek

Catherine Creek from the southern Wallowa Mountains to Union, a key spring Chinook salmon stream.

Wallowa River

The Wallowa River from above Wallowa Lake past Joseph and Enterprise to Water Canyon, listed upstream to downstream.

Lostine, Bear & Minam Rivers

Wallowa River tributaries from the Eagle Cap Wilderness, including the Wild and Scenic Minam River.

Lower Grande Ronde & Snake Rivers

The Grande Ronde River at Troy, below the Minam-to-Troy float, and the Snake River in Hells Canyon below Hells Canyon Dam.

Lake & Reservoir Levels

Water-surface elevation of Wallowa Lake near Joseph.

Other basins

Rogue River Basin · Klamath River Basin · Deschutes River Basin · North Coast Basin · Mid Coast Basin · Umpqua River Basin · South Coast Basin · Willamette River Basin · Sandy River Basin · Hood River Basin · John Day River Basin · Umatilla River Basin · Powder River Basin · Malheur River Basin · Owyhee River Basin · Malheur Lake Basin · Goose & Summer Lakes Basin