How high is the Tanana River at Fairbanks AK right now?

The Tanana River at Fairbanks AK is currently flowing at 21,700 cubic feet per second with a gage height of 19.47 feet, based on the most recent USGS instantaneous reading.

Is the flow on the Tanana River at Fairbanks AK normal for this time of year?

Current flow is classified as very high for October 28. Today's discharge is at the 99th percentile compared to the long-term historical record at this gauge.

Is the Tanana River at Fairbanks AK at flood stage?

No — the gage height is 5.03 feet below the NWS flood-stage threshold of 24.5 feet.

What is the historical median flow for the Tanana River at Fairbanks AK on October 28?

The long-term median discharge for this date is 10,600 cfs based on USGS daily statistics. The 10th–95th percentile range historically is 8,000 to 15,100 cfs.

Where is the Tanana River at Fairbanks AK stream gauge located?

The Tanana River at Fairbanks AK stream gauge is operated by the USGS in Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK on the Tanana River. USGS site number 15485500 (coordinates 64.7923, -147.8413).

Tanana River at Fairbanks AK

USGS Site No: 15485500 • Tanana River • Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK

Tanana River at Fairbanks AK on the Tanana River is currently at 21,700 cfs (Very High — 99th percentile for this date) . Gage height: 19.47 ft.

Reading from 4 months ago

21,700

CFS Discharge

19.47

Gage Height (ft)

Very High

Flow Condition

Normal

Flood Status

Historical Percentile Comparison

Today's discharge compared to the long-term record for October 28 at this station. Percentile rank shows what fraction of historical years had lower flow on this date.

Percentile	Label	CFS Threshold
10th	Very Low threshold	8,000
25th	Low threshold	8,850
50th (Median)	Normal (median)	10,600
75th	High threshold	12,800
95th	Very High threshold	15,100

30-Day Hydrograph

Recent discharge plotted against the historical 10th–95th percentile envelope for the same calendar days. Source: USGS daily values + long-term statistics.

10th–95th historical Day-of-year median Recent discharge

30-Day Flow History

Date	Discharge (CFS)	Gage Ht (ft)
May 28, 2026	23,600	—
May 27, 2026	24,400	—
May 26, 2026	23,900	—
May 25, 2026	24,300	—
May 24, 2026	26,100	—
May 23, 2026	27,500	—
May 22, 2026	27,200	—
May 21, 2026	28,300	—
May 20, 2026	29,900	—
May 19, 2026	31,800	—
May 18, 2026	33,500	—
May 17, 2026	35,400	—
May 16, 2026	36,600	—
May 15, 2026	36,000	—
Jan 29, 2026	22,100	—
Jan 28, 2026	12,400	—
Jan 27, 2026	6,410	—
Jan 26, 2026	6,430	—
Jan 25, 2026	6,430	—
Jan 24, 2026	6,450	—
Jan 23, 2026	6,460	—
Jan 22, 2026	6,470	—
Jan 21, 2026	6,490	—
Jan 20, 2026	6,490	—
Jan 19, 2026	6,510	—
Jan 18, 2026	6,530	—
Jan 17, 2026	6,540	—
Jan 16, 2026	6,550	—
Jan 15, 2026	6,560	—
Jan 14, 2026	6,580	—

Station Information

USGS Site No: 15485500
State: AK
County: Fairbanks North Star Borough
Coordinates: 64.7923, -147.8413
Datum (ft): 404.9
HUC Code: 19080307

View on USGS NWIS →

Flood Stage Thresholds

Action Stage: 23.5 ft
Flood Stage: 24.5 ft
Moderate Flood: 26.0 ft
Major Flood: 27.0 ft

Currently 5.03 ft below flood stage.

Recent Extremes

Max discharge: 65,500 cfs

Aug 31, 2025
Min discharge: 6,410 cfs

Jan 27, 2026
Days at flood stage: 0

Computed from the local daily-values archive.

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