Around here
Around Rio Grande
Access7
- Fort Craig Historic SiteRecreation area5.5 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Bosque del Apache National Wildlife RefugeRecreation area8.6 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Antelope Wilderness Study AreaRecreation area9.8 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Jornada del Muerto Wilderness Study AreaRecreation area13.6 mi (opens in a new tab)
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Rio Grande is a 42.0 mile river near Zia Kayak Outfitters in New Mexico. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial, NM (site 08358400). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 9. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1964 to 2026
Rio Grande typically runs highest in May, at a median 1,140 cfs, and lowest in September, at 35 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 8,110 cfs, in 1985.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 506 | 309 to 690 |
| February | 536 | 332 to 761 |
| March | 380 | 96 to 763 |
| April | 312 | 37 to 1,400 |
| May | 1,140 | 57 to 2,940 |
| June | 552 | 23 to 2,500 |
| July | 58 | 0.9 to 490 |
| August | 68 | 7.3 to 419 |
| September | 35 | 0.0 to 208 |
| October | 55 | 0.0 to 182 |
| November | 496 | 144 to 834 |
| December | 542 | 255 to 881 |
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 62 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Rio Grande Floodway at San Marcial, NM (site 08358400). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Boat access nearby
6 mapped launches sit in the mapped area of Rio Grande, all of them public access. Ramp data comes from the USGS national boat-ramp inventory.
- Caballo Lake State ParkRio Grande - Caballo LakePublic
- Caballo Lake State ParkRio Grande - Caballo LakePublic
- Elephant Butte Lake State Park - Dam SiteRio Grande - Elephant Butte LakePublic
- Elephant Butte Lake State Park - Marina Del SurRio Grande - Elephant Butte LakePublic
- Elephant Butte Lake State Park - Rock Canyon MarinaRio Grande - Elephant Butte LakePublic
- Elephant Butte Lake State Park - South MonticelloRio Grande - Elephant Butte LakePublic
Made to print
Put Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande'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.
