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Around South Fork American River
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
South Fork American River is a 62.1 mile river near Mile High Fishing Charters in California. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge American R at Fair Oaks CA (site 11446500). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 8. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1956 to 2026
South Fork American River typically runs highest in July, at a median 3,580 cfs, and lowest in October, at 1,660 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 131,000 cfs, in 1986.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,980 | 1,230 to 4,600 |
| February | 2,860 | 1,510 to 5,680 |
| March | 3,190 | 1,520 to 6,280 |
| April | 2,985 | 1,410 to 5,980 |
| May | 3,070 | 1,420 to 5,990 |
| June | 3,115 | 2,105 to 4,855 |
| July | 3,580 | 2,940 to 4,340 |
| August | 2,670 | 2,050 to 3,460 |
| September | 1,970 | 1,440 to 2,920 |
| October | 1,660 | 1,090 to 2,430 |
| November | 1,855 | 1,140 to 2,460 |
| December | 2,020 | 1,280 to 2,610 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 71 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for American R at Fair Oaks CA (site 11446500). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
8 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of South Fork American River. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Folsom Lake Yacht ClubFolsom LakeRestricted
- Folsom Lake MarinaFolsom LakePublic
- Folsom Lake State Recreation Area (Brown's Ravine)Folsom LakePublic
- Sly Park Recreation AreaJenkinson LakePublic
- Jenkinson Lake - Stonebreaker CampJenkinson LakePublic
- Folsom Lake State Recreation Area (Peninsula Old)Folsom LakePublic
- Folsom Lake State Recreation AreaFolsom LakePublic
- Folsom Lake State Recreation Area - Rattlesnake BarFolsom LakePublic
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show South Fork American River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
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