Water Body Flow in Canada
Real-time data — CEHQ + Environment Canada (MSC)
Fluvaro aggregates real-time flow data for water bodies across Canada (rivers, creeks and gauged lakes). More than 2,700 hydrometric stations covering all 13 provinces and territories: CEHQ for Quebec, Environment and Climate Change Canada (MSC) for the rest of the country. Water level, flow in m³/s, year-to-date curve overlaid on 50+ years of climatology, trend indicators, forecasts and an interactive map — all in one place to help you plan fishing trips, paddling outings, and other water activities safely.
Available data
For each hydrometric station covered, Fluvaro displays:
- Instantaneous flow rate — in cubic metres per second (m³/s), updated in near real-time.
- Water level — height in centimetres or metres at the gauging station.
- 24-hour min/max values — to assess recent variability.
- Trend indicator — rising, falling, or stable relative to the last reading.
- Multi-year climatology reference — min/median/max envelope computed from decades of daily measurements, with the current-year curve overlaid.
- Drainage area (km²) — surface drained by the station, to anticipate the water body's response to rainfall.
Data sources
Fluvaro uses two official public data sources:
- Centre d'expertise hydrique du Québec (CEHQ) — Quebec hydrometric stations. Data under Creative Commons BY 4.0 licence.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (MSC) — federal stations outside Quebec (all provinces and territories). Data under the Open Government Licence — Canada. Recent values are tagged "Provisional" by the source: not QA-validated but used in real time by federal services.
Interactive map and GPS position
From the Water Bodies tab, switch to the map view to see every covered station across Canada at a glance. If you grant geolocation, your position appears in blue — handy for spotting the closest stations to your fishing destination.
- 2,700+ stations across 13 provinces and territories, grouped into clusters when you zoom out.
- Optional GPS position — the map works without it, but you gain quick proximity scanning.
- Tap a point — bubble with the water body name, the municipality and a button to open the full details.
- Embedded mini-map in every station's detail sheet, expandable to full-screen.
The map is open to everyone, no Pro subscription needed. Geolocation is requested on open, refusable, and never sent to our servers: it stays on your device.
Personalize your list
With a Pro account, follow up to 30 water bodies in your personal list. The list syncs across your devices and organizes the way you want:
- Drag to reorder — favourites at the top.
- Add by tapping the heart in the list, on the map, or in a station's detail sheet.
- Remove in two taps from edit mode.
- Offline — your list stays accessible even without a connection, after a first sync.
Without a Pro account, you see the 5 most-followed water bodies with full data; the rest of the catalogue is browsable but the charts are blurred behind a paywall.
Water bodies covered across Canada
Fluvaro tracks hydrometric stations on the country's main water bodies — salmon and trout rivers, large rivers, creeks and gauged lakes. Coverage by province and territory (by network size):
- Ontario — 537 stations
- British Columbia — 444 stations (Fraser, Skeena, Columbia…)
- Alberta — 428 stations (North Saskatchewan, Athabasca, Bow…)
- Quebec — 359 stations (Bonaventure, Matapédia, Saint-Jean, Moisie, Saint Lawrence and the entire CEHQ network)
- Saskatchewan — 292 stations
- Manitoba — 269 stations
- Northwest Territories and Newfoundland and Labrador — 104 stations each (Mackenzie, Humber, Conne River…)
- Yukon — 62 stations
- New Brunswick — 50 stations (Restigouche, Saint John, Miramichi…)
- Nova Scotia — 35 stations
- Nunavut — 23 stations
- Prince Edward Island — 9 stations
Water body flow and fishing
Flow is one of the most important factors for Atlantic salmon, trout and Pacific salmon fishing across Canada. Too low a flow stresses fish and restricts their movement; too high a flow creates strong currents that make fishing difficult and potentially dangerous.
Fluvaro gives you the data you need to choose the right time: instantaneous flow, 24-hour min/max values, a trend indicator, and the multi-year climatology reference to situate the current value against the station's seasonal norm.
Frequently asked questions about water body flow
How do I check river flow in Canada?
Fluvaro shows real-time flow for 2,700+ water bodies across Canada — Bonaventure, Restigouche, Saint John, Fraser, North Saskatchewan and many more — with 24h min/max and trend indicators. Data comes from CEHQ for Quebec and Environment Canada (MSC) for the other provinces and territories.
Is there a map of the covered water bodies?
Yes. From the Water Bodies tab, switch to the Map view to see the 2,700+ stations on an interactive map (13 provinces and territories). If you grant geolocation, your position appears so you can spot the closest stations. The map is open to everyone, no subscription needed; geolocation stays on your device.
What does the year-to-date line on the historical chart mean?
The historical reference chart shows a min/median/max envelope computed from decades of daily measurements (up to 50 years depending on the station), with the current-year flow overlaid in red. The window rolls around today (8 months back, 4 months ahead) so you immediately see whether the water body is within its seasonal norm, flooding, or running low.
What is the drainage area shown on a station's details?
The drainage area (in km²) is the surface of land that drains toward the station's measurement point. The larger the basin, the slower the water body reacts to rainfall — a large basin dampens rain over several days, a small one can surge in hours.
How many water bodies can I follow with Fluvaro Pro?
With a Pro account, up to 30 water bodies in your personal list, with drag-to-reorder. Without a subscription, you get the 5 most-followed water bodies with full data, and the rest of the catalogue in preview mode.
What is the difference between flow rate and water level?
Flow rate (m³/s) measures the volume of water passing through a water body cross-section per second. Water level (cm) measures the water height at a station. Both are useful: flow rate for assessing fishing conditions and safety, water level for bank access and boat launch planning.
Where does Fluvaro's flow data come from?
Two public sources: the Centre d'expertise hydrique du Québec (CEHQ) under Creative Commons BY 4.0 for Quebec stations, and Environment and Climate Change Canada (MSC) under the Open Government Licence — Canada for federal stations elsewhere in Canada. Recent MSC values are tagged "Provisional" by the source: not QA-validated but used in real time by federal services.
What flow rate is ideal for salmon fishing?
The ideal flow rate varies by water body, but average to slightly above-average water levels generally favour salmon runs. Check the historical data in Fluvaro to learn the seasonal norm for your target water body.