Devils Lake near Devils Lake water level

Name: Devils Lake near Devils Lake water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Devils Lake, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Above flood stage

Surface elevation

1,451.26ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 17, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT (1 hour ago)

Water level: 49.93 ft

History

7 days

Surface elevation

What this means

Devils Lake near Devils Lake is in flood, with the latest reading at 1,451.26 ft.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Follow National Weather Service flood warnings for the area, and never drive through flooded roads. The 30-day range is 1,451.25 ft – 1,451.32 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge. How to read levels

Staying safe in high water

Flood stage is only the first threshold. Above it the National Weather Service sets moderate and major flood stages, and the forecast crest tells you which of those the river is expected to reach.

Upstream gauges on the same river usually show a rise first, which is a useful early warning.

What happens at each level

1,451.26 ft: Right now
60.00 ft: Top of dike raised to this elevation in 2006 (current dike protection level plus 5.0 feet of freeboard equal top of dike elevation).
59.00 ft: Prior to January 2010, the height that Devils Lake/Stump Lake spills into Sheyenne River through Tolna Coulee. Combined area of Devils and Stump Lakes would be 450 sq mi.
58.00 ft: Tolna Coulee clean-out height (January 2010).
56.00 ft: Amtrak service from Grand Forks to Devils Lake affected due to water on track.
55.00 ft: Current dike protection level (2006; without freeboard). Combined area of Devils and Stump Lakes would be 227 sq mi.
54.30 ft: **** Record level - June 27, 2011 - USGS Max Daily Average ****
49.20 ft: Drainage problems for Minnewaukan. Ramsey Co. Hwy 2 affected.
49.00 ft: Devils Lake at 213 sq mi.
48.30 ft: US Hwy 281 (north of Minnewaukan) closed during high winds.
48.00 ft: Devils Lake at 202 sq mi.
47.20 ft: Devils Lake at 195 sq mi.
47.10 ft: Devils Lake spilled into Stump Lake (August 1999; previous overflow in the 1820s).

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 70° 41° – Wind 18 mph

18 Sun 61° 42° – Wind 16 mph

19 Mon 59° 35° – Wind 10 mph

20 Tue 67° 43° – Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 64° 49° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 70° 45° – Wind 16 mph

23 Fri 65° 49° 0.24 in, 41% Wind 20 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:00 AM Sunset 06:43 PM Daylight 10 hr, 43 min First quarter 46%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Dry Lake near PennLake, Dry Lake	49.97 ft	Very high	+0.08 ft	10 mi
Morrison Lake near WebsterLake, Morrison Lake	58.13 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	11 mi
Starkweather Coulee near WebsterRiver gauge, Starkweather Coulee	3.5 cfs	Normal	−1.1 cfs	15 mi
Big Coulee at Highway 2 near Churchs FerryRiver gauge, Big Coulee	50.11 ft	Normal	+0.11 ft	17 mi
Edmore Coulee near EdmoreRiver gauge, Edmore Coulee	8.2 cfs	High	−1.1 cfs	20 mi
Sheyenne River near WarwickRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	3.02 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	22 mi
Tolna Coulee near TolnaRiver gauge, Tolna Coulee	15.49 ft	Very low	±0	25 mi
Sheyenne River below Devils Lake State Outlet near BremenRiver gauge, Sheyenne River	18.16 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	26 mi

Questions and answers

Is Devils Lake near Devils Lake really 1,451.26 ft deep?

No. 1,451.26 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

What is the water level of Devils Lake near Devils Lake today?

On Oct 17, 2026, 10:00 PM CDT, the surface elevation was 1,451.26 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Devils Lake near Devils Lake rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Devils Lake near Devils Lake normal?

Above flood stage. Judged against the official flood stage for this gauge.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:05056500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.09944, -98.90278 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Surface elevation	1,451.26 ft	2026-10-18 03:00	Provisional
Water level	49.93 ft	2026-10-18 03:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Devils Lake near Devils Lake (usgs:05056500). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/devils-lake-near-devils-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