
River stage
Castle Rock, Cowlitz River
- River level
- 33.68 ft
- Status
- Below flood stage
- 7-day change
- +0.03 ft
- Recent high
- 34.14 ft
- Recent low
- 33.03 ft
Last reported 2026-10-13 | NWS CASW1
- 30-day change
- +0.57 ft
- Average
- 33.46 ft
- Readings
- 122
- Data span
- 122 days
- Record crest
- 55.76 ft
In brief
The Cowlitz River at Castle Rock, WA read 33.68 ft on Oct 13, 2026, 12.32 ft below action stage. That is 0.57 ft higher than 30 days earlier.
Source: National Weather Service gauge CASW1
River level timeline
Stage threshold profile
Highest crests on record
| Rank | Crest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55.76 ft | 1996-02-08 |
| 2 | 55.16 ft | 1995-11-30 |
| 3 | 54.70 ft | 2009-01-08 |
| 4 | 52.95 ft | 1980-05-18 |
| 5 | 52.45 ft | 2015-12-09 |
| 6 | 50.60 ft | 1990-01-09 |
| 7 | 50.04 ft | 1986-11-24 |
| 8 | 49.78 ft | 2006-11-07 |
Flood crests recorded at this gauge by the National Weather Service.
What happens at each level
- 48.00 ft
expect flooding of several roads and low-lying agricultural lands in areas not protected by levees.
- 51.00 ft
flooding of buildings and residential areas begins, especially west of the river along Hwy 411 and around Four Corners. Also expect widespread flooding of low-lying agricultural land.
- 54.00 ft
expect widespread flooding of residential and business areas, especially west of the river in the Four Corners area and along Hwy 411. Also expect widespread flooding of agricultural land. Levees have historically been threatened of overtopping at this and higher levels.
- 57.00 ft
expect widespread and major flooding of homes and property just upstream and downstream of Castle Rock. Impacts include major flooding of the fairgrounds area west of Castle Rock, numerous road closures, and possible overtopping or weakening of portions of the levee protecting Castle Rock, especially sections downstream of the highway bridge.
Written by the local National Weather Service forecast office for this exact gauge.
Trout stocking on the Cowlitz River
WDFW stocked the Cowlitz River 68 times in 2026, 5,118,748 fish in total. Chinook and Coho and Cutthroat and Steelhead at Yearling and Smolt.
| Species | Fish | When |
|---|---|---|
| Chinook | 17,078 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 38,189 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,042 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 38,184 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,042 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 72,298 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 72,094 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 72,328 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,120 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 72,228 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 72,433 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,078 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,119 | March 2026 |
| Chinook | 38,171 | March 2026 |
| Coho | 261,056 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 44,707 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,803 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 5,463 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 25,281 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 4,933 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 3,816 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 5,109 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,340 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 22,825 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,166 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,291 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 13,191 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 12,397 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,184 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,082 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 260,580 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,183 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 17,658 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,122 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,510 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,082 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 256,451 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,781 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,230 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 18,854 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 23,644 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 13,293 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 17,167 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 13,269 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 2,679 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 255,816 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 24,755 | April 2026 |
| Cutthroat | 10,130 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 4,619 | April 2026 |
| Steelhead | 25,338 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 259,136 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 5,349 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 107,672 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 259,828 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 21,375 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,614 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 4,074 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 259,996 | April 2026 |
| Coho | 106,533 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 47,669 | April 2026 |
| Chinook | 312,558 | May 2026 |
| Coho | 92 | May 2026 |
| Chinook | 304,494 | May 2026 |
| Chinook | 210,987 | May 2026 |
| Chinook | 318,329 | May 2026 |
| Chinook | 311,663 | May 2026 |
| Chinook | 202,070 | May 2026 |
| Coho | 100 | June 2026 |
WDFW lists a week or a month rather than a date, and counts fish as an estimate. Full Washington stocking schedule →
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cowlitz River flooding at Castle Rock?
No. The Cowlitz River at Castle Rock is at 33.68 ft, 12.32 ft below action stage.
What is the flood stage at Castle Rock?
The National Weather Service sets action stage 46 ft, minor flooding 48 ft, moderate flooding 54 ft and major flooding 57 ft.
What is the highest the Cowlitz River has been at Castle Rock?
The highest crest on record is 55.76 ft, on 1996-02-08.
Is the Cowlitz River high or low right now at Castle Rock?
At 33.68 ft it is higher than 70% of readings over the last 122 days.
Stage and flood information from the NOAA National Weather Service (gauge CASW1); daily history from the U.S. Geological Survey (site 14243000). Last reading 2026-10-13. For flood safety decisions always follow official National Weather Service warnings.