Look for at least 1 inch of rain within the last 12 hours @  AFWS-Edgemont, Grandfather Meadows and Jonas Ridge. 

 

 

Yes all three should have over 1" in the last 12 hours and then MAYBE LCC will be running!  Preferably 2 inches or more in the last 12 to 24 hours.  The hurricane rule applies here - in case of hurricane approach the tribs from above (north in this case) and forget about running WC gorge. 

 

Most people find the Wilson Creek tribs in order to avoid the high water Class V Wilson creek hydraulics (over 6" @ Adako or the Gorge put-in).  As a result, there are not many WC trib visuals and runs.

 

People & guidebooks will tell you to look for the Adako bridge visual (also known as a Wilson Visual) to be 2 feet...but don't put your entire boat in that eddy, the Wilson Creek tribs run a lot more than people think. 

 

Adako at 2 feet guarantees water, but if you are ready, willing & able you can hit these pristine creeks when the Adako visual is quickly on the rise or not even rising yet.  Depending upon rainfall patterns and timing, water in the Wilson tribs can drop out before Adako rises.  Bottom line is that if you are at Adako bridge during or soon after a >1" rain and Adako is still low or rising --- dash for the tribs and you may catch Gragg Prong, Harper, North Harper, Lost Cove, Little Wilson, and maybe even Rockhouse Creek.  If the sandbars and waterlines tell you that Adako has peaked out below 6" and the rain is over, then don't bother with the WC tribs. From Adako bridge, you can get to most of the WC tribs in 30 to 60 minutes.

 

It is rare, but we have seen Little Wilson running strong over 24 hours after a 1" rain - this is because the rain gauges can fool you.  More than 1" of rain fell during that rain event - for sure.  Rain gauges and their solar panels can become obstructed by trees which is the often the case with the Edgemont gauge.  If you see dashes on the AFWS page then there is usually a communication issue with the rain gauge - frequently a blocked, missing, or broken solar panel.  If a rain gauge is reading 0" or really low and all of the nearby gauges are gathering rain, then there could be something physically wrong the gauge (broken, obstructed...).