Gauge Description:

The real trick to this run is figuring out what the flow will be doing over the course of 3 days. Ideally you'll probably want flows around 800-1100 cfs. The river has been described as class V with no eddies as flows approach 2000 cfs which is not a comforting thought considering some of the wood hazards. If you can pick a time when discharge is steady or dropping slightly from around 1000 cfs you should be good to go. The lower half from Monument Creek down can be enjoyed at flows as low as 500 cfs but this would likely make the top half scrapey. The virtual gauge is an estimate based on the watershed area of the Lost (146 sq. miles) relative to the watershed area represented by the Methow at Mazama gauge (373 sq. miles). Bennett's book says to look for flows around 10,000 cfs on the Methow at Pateros, but this gauge is much further down in the drainage and not a reliable indicator of flows on the Lost. There is a staff gauge on river right at the downstream side of the take-out bridge. A level of 9.1 feet corresponds to approximately 850 cfs and 8.7 feet corresponds to approximately 500 cfs (information from the stage rating curve will be listed here when it becomes available).