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California
Hot Creek
No verdict for this water
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Inyo National Forest
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
River facts
- Water
- Seasonal — can run dry
- Average flow
- 75 cfs
- Average current
- 1.2 ft/s
- Gradient
- 33.8 ft/mi
- Drainage area
- 58 sq mi
Long-term averages modeled by USGS (NHDPlus HR), not today's conditions. Check a gauge before you go.
Here's your day on the water, mapped
Hot Creek
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- Forest Service
About this water
Hot Creek is a 15-mile paddling stretch near Mammoth Lakes, California. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 75 cfs and a gradient of about 33.8 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
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Keep exploring — more water worth the drive
Photo: Greg Reis, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Rush Creek
~34 min drive
Rush Creek is a 16-mile paddling stretch near June Lake, California. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 142 cfs and a gradient of about 223.7 feet per mile.
Convict Boat Ramp
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
Chilkoot
~1h 14m drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
Photo: The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company from Long Beach, California, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)South Fork San Joaquin River
~44 min drive
South Fork San Joaquin River is a 40-mile paddling stretch near Shaver Lake, California. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 750 cfs and a gradient of about 162.0 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Rock Creek Boat Launch
~26 min drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
Photo: Photographersnature, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Bishop Creek
~52 min drive
Bishop Creek is a 9.9-mile paddling stretch near Bishop, California. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 99 cfs and a gradient of about 288.2 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Gull Lake Carry-on Boat Launch
~26 min drive
Gull Lake Carry-on Boat Launch is a boat launch in California.
Photo: Kylir Horton from Eagle Mountain, Utah, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Merced River
~1h 3m drive
Merced River is a 11-mile paddling stretch near Yosemite National Park, California. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 1,854 cfs and a gradient of about 158.6 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the National Park Service.
Silver Lake Boat Launch
~30 min drive
A worthwhile stop near California.
Mammoth Creek
~12 min drive
Mammoth Creek is a 9.2-mile paddling stretch near Mammoth Lakes, California. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 63 cfs and a gradient of about 288.6 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
