Missouri River below Mandan water level

Name: Missouri River below Mandan water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Missouri River, North Dakota, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Water level

18.63ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 AM CDT (1 hour ago)

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

Low water at Missouri River below Mandan: the gauge reads 18.63 ft, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 2.19 ft below the median of 20.82 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 18.53 ft – 18.93 ft.

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

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 20.82 ft2.19 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 19.08 ft – 24.29 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 18.53 ft – 18.93 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 18.60 ft – 25.81 ft

Paddling and fishing conditions

At low levels, plan for shorter paddling trips and expect to walk your boat through a few shoals.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

17 Sat 79° 31° – Wind 13 mph

18 Sun 67° 46° – Wind 13 mph

19 Mon 66° 34° – Wind 12 mph

20 Tue 73° 44° – Wind 14 mph

21 Wed 69° 50° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 77° 49° – Wind 16 mph

23 Fri 68° 49° 0.24 in, 36% Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 08:06 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 10 hr, 47 min First quarter 48%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River above StantonRiver gauge, Missouri River	61.18 ft	Very low	−0.21 ft	49 mi
Missouri River near StantonRiver gauge, Missouri River	7.05 ft	Very low	−0.04 ft	44 mi
Missouri River near HenslerRiver gauge, Missouri River	11.95 ft	Very low	+0.14 ft	40 mi
Missouri River at WashburnRiver gauge, Missouri River	7.94 ft	Very low	+0.18 ft	38 mi
Missouri River at PriceRiver gauge, Missouri River	16.93 ft	Very low	+0.14 ft	23 mi
Missouri River above MandanRiver gauge, Missouri River	11.30 ft	No reference yet	+0.11 ft	8 mi
Missouri River at BismarckRiver gauge, Missouri River	3.72 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	4.5 mi
Missouri River near SchmidtRiver gauge, Missouri River	11.80 ft	Very low	−0.12 ft	8 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Drain on Wachter Ave at BismarckRiver gauge, Drain on Wachter Ave	26.19 ft	Low	+0.01 ft	3.7 mi
Heart River near MandanRiver gauge, Heart River	8.86 ft	Below flood stage	±0	9 mi
Heart River at Stark Bridge near JudsonRiver gauge, Heart River	1.81 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	18 mi
Cannonball River at BreienRiver gauge, Cannonball River	1.73 ft	Very low	−0.02 ft	26 mi
Square Butte Creek below CenterRiver gauge, Square Butte Creek	1.06 ft	Low	−0.01 ft	27 mi
Porcupine Creek near Fort YatesRiver gauge, Porcupine Creek	1.73 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	39 mi

Questions and answers

What is a normal level for the Missouri River below Mandan in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 20.82 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 19.08 ft and 24.29 ft, based on 36 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 Missouri River below Mandan today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 02:00 AM CDT, the water level was 18.63 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River below Mandan rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Down 0.08 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Missouri River below Mandan normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

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:06349070 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 46.75000, -100.83861 (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
Water level	18.63 ft	2026-10-18 07:00	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River below Mandan (usgs:06349070). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/missouri-river-below-mandan

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