River Flow?? What gives?

  • docfrigo
    Wisconsin
    Posts: 1564
    October 5, 2009 at 5:02 pm #1264472

    There must be a method to this maddness, who’s right: NOAA or the US Army????

    Current measurements of today:
    RiverGages(US Army Corps): 9000 flow
    NOAA: 5800 flow

    These sites rarely match up, last week NOAA was 11K while US Corps was around 5500.

    Looks like a guy can’t flip flop sites to check flow.
    Maybe Obama can fix this with some stimulus money.

    dustin_stewart
    Rochester, MN
    Posts: 1402
    October 5, 2009 at 5:27 pm #806995

    Been noticing the same thing this summer. Just gave up made my own decision on which one was right after fishing a couple of spots.

    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25026
    October 5, 2009 at 5:47 pm #807003

    It’s all relative. They don’t have the gauges or use the same ones, do they? Isn’t the trend more important than the actual number and isn’t the number compared to the average flow more important than the actual flow?

    docfrigo
    Wisconsin
    Posts: 1564
    October 5, 2009 at 7:00 pm #807016

    IMHO, I find following the stage and flow to be very important in predicting baitfish-fish movement for a given period of the year Totally predicts where I am going to fish and how I am going to fish it.

    garvi
    LACROSSE WI
    Posts: 1137
    October 5, 2009 at 7:06 pm #807019

    Care to explain ??

    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25026
    October 5, 2009 at 9:01 pm #807060

    Quote:

    IMHO, I find following the stage and flow to be very important in predicting baitfish-fish movement for a given period of the year Totally predicts where I am going to fish and how I am going to fish it.


    No doubt! I use the gauges to determine if the flow is faster or slower than average and what the trend is. And to me the number is only as important as the difference between it and ‘normal’ flow.

    docfrigo
    Wisconsin
    Posts: 1564
    October 5, 2009 at 9:10 pm #807064

    Flow goes up, usually with stage: fish shallower, more backwater areas, eddies and such.
    Flow goes down, usually with stage: fish main river, scattered fish and such.

    jak
    Posts: 76
    October 6, 2009 at 3:07 pm #807221

    I check NOAA but mainly for level changes.
    I’ve come to the conclusion (right or wrong) that the flow is a bogus number.
    If you watch level, flow is always related, it is never different.
    If level @17.1 flow is 17k.
    Flow @ 17.2 flow is 20k.
    It is a calculation and not related to actual flow.
    I’ve have backed this info up on the river with my own observations.
    I may be wrong but some days there is definately more current than being reported.
    If someone else has the real skinny on the subject please chime in.

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