Nivelmap
EN

Pipestone River at Karl Lake water level

River gauge, Pipestone River, Ontario, Canada

Directions

Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

12.43m Down 0.04 m over the last 24 hours

Flow
13.2 m³/s
12.5 13.0 13.5

History

History
12.513.013.5mOct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 1812.513.013.5mOct 11Oct 15Oct 18
12.513.013.5mSep 18Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 1812.513.013.5mSep 18Oct 3Oct 18
1314mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20261314mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
1314mJanMarMayJulSepNov20261314mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

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.

Read more on Wikipedia

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.

18 Sun 15° 6° – Wind 38 km/h
19 Mon 13° 4° – Wind 28 km/h
20 Tue 14° 2° – Wind 18 km/h
21 Wed 11° 3° 0.1 mm, 21% Wind 16 km/h
22 Thu 13° 1° – Wind 12 km/h
23 Fri 17° 3° – Wind 18 km/h
24 Sat 16° 10° 1.2 mm, 31% Wind 23 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:32 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 29 min First quarter 52%

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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 12.43 m 2026-10-18 18:25 Provisional
Flow 13.2 m³/s 2026-10-18 18:25 Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

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.