Frequently Asked Questions
Free, state-by-state river flows for trout anglers
Full Contact Anglers runs a free dashboard of curated river gauges — flow, stage, water temperature, and weather — focused on trout water across Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and other states.
Where does the data come from? Streamflow, stage, and water temperature come from public agency sources, including USGS, Colorado DWR, NOAA, and USBR where those networks provide the best gauge. Weather on each card comes from a forecast API for the gauge location. We don’t invent flows or “fishability scores.”
How often does it update? We refresh gauge and weather data on a regular schedule through our server cache (typically on the order of about 15 minutes for active states). What you see is the latest data we’ve pulled, not a continuous live wire to every sensor. Opening a gauge graph may load additional history for that site.
Why does a card say “No recent data” or “No data available”? Some gauges go offline, report rarely, or only publish stage. When we still know the location, we show the card with weather and map when possible, and we keep last-known flow info when we have it. “No recent data” usually means we have an older reading; “No data available” means we don’t have usable flow/stage to show right now.
What do the flow badges mean?
We compare today’s flow to what’s typical for this time of year (from USGS long-term stats where available):
- Well below average — much lower than usual for the date
- Below average — lower than usual
- Near average — roughly normal for the season
- Above average — higher than usual
- Well above average — much higher than usual
Badges are a quick context cue, not a fishability score. A river can fish well above or below average depending on the stretch, clarity, and time of year. Always pair the badge with the actual cfs and local knowledge.
What do the water temperature colors mean? We highlight water temp to help with trout care in warm weather:
- Green — generally good to go
- Orange — getting toasty; be choosy
- Red — too hot for responsible fishing on many trout waters
Carry a thermometer and follow local regs and closures.
Why some gauges show no water temp
Not every station reports temperature. Many gauges only measure flow and stage. Where temp is missing, the sensor may be offline, seasonal, or never installed. No temp on the card does not mean the water is cold or safe to fish — it only means we don’t have a reading. When in doubt, carry a thermometer and check local regs.
Can I use the page offline? If the page is already loaded, you can still scroll and read the state that’s on screen. Switching states or opening gauge graphs needs a network connection. A full refresh offline usually won’t work.
How do I get a river or gauge added? Email us the gauge ID or river and location: contact@fullcontactanglers.com. We prioritize strong trout water and reliable public data sources.
Do you show fishing regulations and closures? Where agencies publish a clear page, we link state rules/licenses and, for some states, current closures. Those links go to the agency — always verify before you go.
Is this free? Are there ads or a subscription? The river flows dashboard is free to use. No paywall for the gauges you see on the page.
Will this work on my phone? Yes. The layout is built for mobile and desktop. For the best experience, use a current mobile browser with a signal when switching states or opening graphs.
Snowpack
The snowpack board is separate from the river board. It is at fullcontactanglers.com/pages/snowpack. It does not change a flow card, and it is not a ski report.
Where does the snowpack data come from? Natural Resources Conservation Service basin plots. Snowpack is snow-water equivalent, the water in the snow, not the depth on the ground. Precip is the water-year total since October 1. Both are observed plots, not a forecast. The normal is the 1991–2020 median.
Which basins are on it? Colorado, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. The cards are the trout basins, not every NRCS plot in the state. Click a basin for the curve.
What do the inches and the percent mean? Inches are the number. The percent sits beside them only when the median for that date is at least half an inch. Below that, the percent stays off. Snow stays a dash until NRCS posts it. Precip shows 0.00 until the water year has a reading, not a dash.
What do the snowpack badges mean? Same bands as the flow cards, and they run on their own. Well below is under 70 percent of the median. Below is 70 to 90. Near is 90 to 110. Above is 110 to 130. Well above is over 130. If the median is not ready, the pill says no average yet.
How often does it update? When NRCS posts the day. The page keeps the last reading and refreshes in the background, so a state switch should not wait on a rebuild. The date on the card is the posted day, not the minute you opened it.
Can you add a basin? Email contact@fullcontactanglers.com with the basin and the state. Same as a gauge.
Reservoirs
The reservoir board is separate from the river board. It is at fullcontactanglers.com/pages/reservoir. It shows storage and elevation for trout reservoirs, not a river gauge.
Where does the reservoir data come from? Bureau of Reclamation for the Pacific Northwest and Great Plains reservoirs, Denver Water for the Denver system, and the Pueblo Board of Water Works for Pueblo. These are observed readings, not a forecast.
What do the numbers mean? The percent is storage against capacity. Elevation is the water surface. In and out are the cfs entering and leaving, when the source reports them. A dash means that source did not send that number.
What do the pills mean? Filling means storage is rising. Holding means it is steady. Dropping means it is falling. The pill comes from inflow against outflow when both exist, and from the storage trend over the last week when they do not.
How often does it update? On the same schedule as the river board, about every 15 minutes. What you see is the latest reading we have pulled. A reservoir that reports once a day will show that day's number until the next one posts.
Why is a graph missing a day? Some sources send a missing-data code instead of a number. We drop that day rather than draw a fake point. A gap in the line is a day with no report.
Can you add a reservoir? Email contact@fullcontactanglers.com with the reservoir and the state. Same as a gauge.
Still have a question? contact@fullcontactanglers.com