Lower Gunnison

Delta to Grand Junction area · Class I–II · CO

3,610Oct 22 snapshot

Runnable

Snapshot from Oct 22, 2026. Live reading loading.

Runnable range 1,500 to 8,000 cfs. This is a draft estimate that paddlers have not reviewed yet.

Season

April to October

Character

Mild float through open desert country.

Watch for

Diversion structures and wind can turn a short day into a long one.

Gauge

USGS 09152500
Gunnison River near Grand Junction
3,610 cfs at 6:30 PM MT on Oct 22, 2026 (snapshot)

Snowpack

Gunnison (incl. Taylor)Early seasonDam-regulated

Snow water equivalent 1.1 in. Early season — median too low for a meaningful %.

Dam-regulated: Blue Mesa Reservoir and the Aspinall Unit. Flows on this river also depend on reservoir releases — snowpack alone does not determine flows. Applies to the Gunnison Gorge and Lower Gunnison. The Taylor is controlled by Taylor Park Reservoir.

Outlook indicator, not a flow forecast. Spring temperatures, rain, soil moisture, dust on snow and reservoir releases also matter. NRCS SNOTEL data as of Oct 31, 2026 (provisional).

See basin snowpack

Draft details for paddlers to review and edit. Community voting on runnable ranges is coming.

Trip reports

Wavetrain is an early build. Flow readings are USGS provisional data and may be revised. Runnable ranges and run details are drafts for paddlers to review. Permit dates and rules come from the agency pages linked on each permit and can change. Snowpack figures come from NRCS SNOTEL stations, are provisional, and are grouped into basins by watershed, so they may differ from official NRCS basin reports. Nothing here replaces scouting, local knowledge or a conversation with a nearby outfitter.