Gauge Description:

Department of Ecology recently established a realtime gauge for this creek. The USGS Pilchuck nr Bryant gauge is just upstream from the Highway 9 bridge. It's no longer an active gauge and getting to a spot where you can actually read the numbers would require you to go across private property. You can see this staff gauge from the river left side of the bridge. Although you won't be able to read the numbers, the top of the board is at 5.7'(approx 2800 cfs) so from that you can estimate what the level is. Most paddlers use the large rock in the middle of the river on the upstream side of the bridge to estimate relative flow. Look for water coming up on the rock but not completely covering it for ideal flows (see gauge photo). This is a rain-fed run and it generally takes at least a day of good hard winter rain to bring the water up. Check the rainfall at the Arlington NWS station. The river rises and drops very quickly. The staff gauge roughly corresponds (channel has likely changed since the last set of measurements) to cfs as follows:

3.5' - 560 cfs
4.0' - 930 cfs
4.5' - 1390 cfs
5.0' - 1950 cfs
5.5' - 2600 cfs
6.0' - 3300 cfs