# Daily River flows Via Text Message!



## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

http://outinmichigan.blogspot.com/2010/12/daily-river-flows-via-text-message.html
If you are a hard core River Rat like myself you know how important it is to know just how much water is coming down your favorite river. In the past that meant finding time to get on the USGS website, and finding your river and the ga. that is upstream from the stretch your fishing. 

Sometime back I came across a newer feature on the USGS site. You can set up a subscription so that you get Text Messages sent to your Cell Phone Daily or even hourly if you wanted it. I went with the daily myself. Also if you want a more detailed report you can get that sent to you via e-mail.

It is very simple to do.

First go to your favorite river and choose the ga. you want the info to come from. Scroll down the page a little bit, just below the daily discharge chart you will see on link on the right hand side that says "Water Alerts"









Click on that link it will take you to the subscription forum where you can set up your notices. You can setup frequency, and setup when the notice will be sent to you. Either by a low water limit that you set or a high limit. You can also sent it up be withing a range or outside a range.










Just agree to the terms and click submit. You will receive a conformation text or e-mail depending on what you set. After you confirm you all set. When ever you setting are met you will get a notice sent to either your phone or e-mail.


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## Jim..47 (May 5, 2009)

This is great information. I'm not familiar with the chart or how much water level is good. Can you please give a little advice on that? Thanks

Now all I need is someone to tell me how to fish. I'll be trying at the Flat Rock park. I think its Huroc Park?


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

Every River is different, The best way to learn it is by seeing what the Data says and then go see what the river looks like. Then think about have you had good fishing when the flows where this high or low. Where did you catch fish during that flow level. That is the best way to do.

There is no silver bullet for that question.


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## josh617 (Dec 6, 2004)

the chart right now is showing some ice coming down the river. that chart has saved me many trips when the river is blown out, i usually go by gage height more than the flow. Usually if its below 4 ft and falling its fishable but kind of high. Personally i like it between 3.5ft and 3.0 cuz its fishable and still has a slight stain to it. Anything under 3.0 is usually low and clear by raisin standards.


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

I am huge fan of post ice out Flows say around easter weekend normally. It is about 1,000 to 1,500 cfs and the river is barely wadeable in some areas. Which knowing the river inside and out really helps. I want to say the ga. is at 4ft or a bit over that most years. The fish stack in very small areas and are starting to eat again really good and the crayfish and other none minnow fish food are starting to wake up. I have caught some of my largest fish at this time of the year. I just kinda throw a catch all bait and see what hits it. Some days it is Rockies, some days the smallies, O and when a big redhoarse get on the end of a 5wt fly rod hello better then some steel I have hooked into on the same set up. I think I might go hit the huron during that time this coming spring and see if I can get my a 8 to 10 sucker on the old fly rod. I found one while duck hunting this year stuck on a sand flat on Eire.That baby had some shoulders on it!:SHOCKED:I took it to deep water and away the big fish went, I hope I get some good karma for that come spring.:chillin:


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

josh617 said:


> the chart right now is showing some ice coming down the river. that chart has saved me many trips when the river is blown out, i usually go by gage height more than the flow. Usually if its below 4 ft and falling its fishable but kind of high. Personally i like it between 3.5ft and 3.0 cuz its fishable and still has a slight stain to it. Anything under 3.0 is usually low and clear by raisin standards.



The fast the flow or more water coming down the better for water temps and oxygen levels, which does matter a lot on the raisin.It also give you an idea of water color before you go and see it with your own eyes.


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## Jim..47 (May 5, 2009)

raisinrat said:


> The fast the flow or more water coming down the better for water temps and oxygen levels, which does matter a lot on the raisin.It also give you an idea of water color before you go and see it with your own eyes.


 
What kind of fish are you catching on the Rasin? I'm assuming its not steelies is it?

Thanks for all the info guys. I will keep reading here and get myself an education.


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## Jim..47 (May 5, 2009)

Can someone explain this chart for me. I have no idea how to read it. Maybe I have it set up for the wrong data?
Thanks

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv/?site_no=04174500


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

This Graph shows you what the cfs is for the river at that location:

*Leftside value on the graph:*cubic feet per sec(cfs) of water going by that location.

*Across the bottom:*That is your time of the measurement. this graph shows a 7 day history.

*Blue line:* Show you what the cfs where over the last 7 days at that location.

*Yellow Triangle*: Is the median over the last 94 years for that day._A median is described as the numeric value separating the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution, from the lower half. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to highest value and picking the middle one. If there is an even number of observations, then there is no single middle value; the median is then usually defined to be the mean of the two middle values._










This Graph shows you what the depth is at the location where the measurement is being taken.

*Leftside value on the graph:* Is the depth of the water at the gage

*Across the bottom:*That is your time of the measurement. this graph shows a 7 day history.

*Blue line:* Shows you the real time level/ depth of the water at this location.

There is a lot more info on this site that I am still learning and finding. Like Flood forecasting.


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## Jim..47 (May 5, 2009)

Thanks a bunch for explaining that. Makes a lot of sence now.

Can you give me an idea what the depths or cfs should be for best fishing? If you need send me a PM. Thanks


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

Like I said above you only learn that by going and looking at the river, and comparing notes of what the gauge is saying.Ever river is different and what is prime flows changes depending on what part of the river you are fishing.

River fishing is basically three things:chillin:

Reading the water
Paying attention to what happen when you caught that fish.
and Reading the water.


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## tsr770 (Mar 3, 2010)

Jim..47 said:


> What kind of fish are you catching on the Rasin? I'm assuming its not steelies is it?
> 
> Thanks for all the info guys. I will keep reading here and get myself an education.


If I had to guess... smallies, pike, cats, suckers, and the occasion "other" fish.... No steel.. yet


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## raisinrat (Feb 9, 2006)

Smallmouth, Largemouth, Rockbass, Orange Spotted Sunfish, Green Sunfish, Bluegill, Longear Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Northern Pike, Northern Hog Nose Sucker, Redhoarse Suckers, White Sucker, Log Perech, Darters, about 10 different Shiners, Creek Chubs, Stone Rollers,Carp, Channel Catfish, Willow Cat, Stone Cat,Crappies,Longnose Gar, White Bass and a Master angler sized Bowfin caught while Crappie fishing ..........


I think thats all of the types of fish I have caught in the main stem River Raisin. :lol:


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