Pipestone River at Karl Lake water level
River gauge, Pipestone River, Ontario, Canada
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
- Flow
- 13.2 m³/s
History
20252026
What this means
Low water at Pipestone River at Karl Lake: the gauge reads 12.43 m, far below normal for mid-October.
The median for mid-October is 12.89 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the water level is 0.46 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 13.00 m, a difference of −0.57 m.
It is still going down, by 0.04 m over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 12.38 m – 12.46 m.
Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.
Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 12.89 m0.46 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 12.64 m – 13.68 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 13.00 m−0.57 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 12.38 m – 12.46 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 12.40 m – 13.11 m
Freshet, ice and paddling
Open-water season is the time for canoe trips and fishing, though rapids change character with every few centimetres of water.
Flood advisories come from the provincial river forecast centre.
About the Pipestone River
The Pipestone River is a river in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is a major tributary of Winisk River via Wunnummin Lake. This pristine river flows through the rugged wilderness of Ontario's northern boreal forest, and drains into Wunnummin Lake.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 3.1 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Questions and answers
Is the Pipestone River at Karl Lake higher than last year?
No, it is 0.57 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 13.00 m.
What is a normal level for the Pipestone River at Karl Lake in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 12.89 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 12.64 m and 13.68 m, based on 21 years of records.
Is the river level the same as the depth of the water?
No. The reading is measured from a fixed zero mark at the gauge, so 12.43 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Pipestone River at Karl Lake today?
On Oct 18, 2026, 01:25 PM CDT, the water level was 12.43 m. Down 0.04 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Pipestone River at Karl Lake rising or falling?
Down 0.04 m over the last 24 hours. Down 0.02 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Pipestone River at Karl Lake normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
How often is this data updated?
Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada publishes a new reading every hour. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada
- Station code
eccc:04DA001(Agency page)- Coordinates
52.58058, -90.18669(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- station datum (assumed datum)
- Update interval
- every hour
- Licence
- Open Government Licence – Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 12.43 m | 2026-10-18 18:25 | Provisional |
| Flow | 13.2 m³/s | 2026-10-18 18:25 | Provisional |
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How to cite
Environment and Climate Change Canada – Water Survey of Canada: Pipestone River at Karl Lake (eccc:04DA001). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/canada/ontario/pipestone-river-at-karl-lake
How we check values
Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.
Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer