Around here
Around James River
Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
James River is a 62.1 mile stream. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal, ND (site 06468250). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 4. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1986 to 2026
James River typically runs highest in April, at a median 99 cfs, and lowest in February, at 0.8 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 8,140 cfs, in 2009.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2.0 | 0.2 to 4.2 |
| February | 0.8 | 0.0 to 4.6 |
| March | 9.9 | 2.2 to 55 |
| April | 99 | 23 to 585 |
| May | 63 | 14 to 247 |
| June | 39 | 8.2 to 102 |
| July | 28 | 4.9 to 90 |
| August | 14 | 1.2 to 29 |
| September | 5.5 | 0.8 to 15 |
| October | 4.4 | 1.6 to 16 |
| November | 5.4 | 2.3 to 18 |
| December | 3.6 | 1.6 to 7.2 |
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 41 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for James River above Arrowwood Lake near Kensal, ND (site 06468250). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
One mapped launch sits in the mapped area of James River. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Sykeston DamSykeston DamPublic
Made to print
Put James River on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show James River's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
