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Knife River at Manning water level

River gauge, Knife River, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

5.86ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Flow
0.2 cfs
5 10 15 Highest onrecord 17.63 ft Minor floodstage 15.00 ft

History

History
6.06.5ftOct 12Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 186.06.5ftOct 12Oct 15Oct 18
5.56.06.57.0ftSep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 185.56.06.57.0ftSep 19Oct 3Oct 18
51015ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage51015ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Minor flood stage
581013ftJanMarMayJulSepNov2026581013ftJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

At 5.86 ft, the Knife River at Manning is below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 6.20 ft, based on 26 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.34 ft below typical. It is 9.14 ft below the flood stage of 15.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 6.62 ft, a difference of −0.76 ft.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 5.71 ft and 7.12 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, and it usually takes a few days of steady rain to change that.

Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
6.20 ft0.34 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
5.77 ft – 6.71 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (26 years of records)
Same day last year
6.62 ft−0.76 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
5.71 ft – 7.12 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
5.69 ft – 10.25 ft
Highest on record
17.63 ftMarch 18, 2003

What the stage means on the water

Low water means more dragging on shallow riffles and slower floats. Fish crowd into the deeper runs, and warm, low water stresses them, so play and release them quickly.

The National Weather Service puts flood stage for this gauge at 15.00 ft, still 9.14 ft away.

What happens at each level

32.50 ft
Lowest point of Highway 22 will flood.
14.00 ft
A flood of 14.89 ft created problems and required sandbagging of rural homes in 2009.
5.86 ft
Right now

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

Highest crests on record

Chance of at least minor flooding in October to December: < 5 %.

RankLevelDate
117.63 ftMarch 18, 2003
217.05 ftMarch 21, 1997
316.93 ftMarch 18, 2003
416.20 ftJune 15, 1970
515.90 ftMarch 14, 1972
615.70 ftJuly 8, 1969
715.51 ftApril 1, 1987
815.39 ftMarch 27, 1978
915.37 ftApril 22, 1975
1015.36 ftMarch 22, 2019

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:14 AM Sunset 05:59 PM Daylight 10 hr, 45 min First quarter 47%

Map

Other gauges on the Knife River

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Knife River near Golden ValleyRiver gauge, Knife River 3.95 ft Very low −0.01 ft 34 mi
Knife River at HazenRiver gauge, Knife River 0.85 ft Low ±0 54 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Green River near New HradecRiver gauge, Green River 5.22 ft Low +0.14 ft 20 mi
Edward Arthur Patterson LakeLake 2,417.40 ft Normal 25 mi
Little Missouri River near Watford CityRiver gauge, Little Missouri River 7.04 ft High −0.14 ft 33 mi
Bear Den Creek near MandareeRiver gauge, Bear Den Creek 6.20 ft Very high +0.02 ft 38 mi
Spring Creek at ZapRiver gauge, Spring Creek 4.76 ft Normal +0.02 ft 40 mi
Heart River near RichardtonRiver gauge, Heart River 3.89 ft Very low −0.03 ft 40 mi
Little Missouri River at MedoraRiver gauge, Little Missouri River 1.26 ft Very low +0.05 ft 42 mi
Cherry Creek on State Highway 23 near SchaferRiver gauge, Cherry Creek on State Highway 23 6.02 ft Low ±0 44 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Knife River at Manning higher than last year?

No, it is 0.76 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6.62 ft.

What is flood stage for the Knife River at Manning?

The official flood stage is 15.00 ft. The level is currently 9.14 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Knife River at Manning in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6.20 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 5.77 ft and 6.71 ft, based on 26 years of records.

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Knife River at Manning today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 12:00 AM MDT, the water level was 5.86 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Knife River at Manning rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Knife River at Manning normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 26 years of daily readings for this time of year.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Geological Survey
Station code
usgs:06339100 (Agency page)
Coordinates
47.23611, -102.76944 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 5.86 ft 2026-10-18 06:00 Provisional
Flow 0.2 cfs 2026-10-18 06:00 Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Knife River at Manning (usgs:06339100). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/knife-river-at-manning

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.