Missouri River near Williston water level

Name: Missouri River near Williston 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

Normal for mid-October

Water level

13.09ft Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 18, 2026, 11:45 PM MDT (33 min ago)

Water temperature: 49 °F

History

7 days 30 days 1 year Years compared

20252026

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

What this means

Water levels are unremarkable at Missouri River near Williston, where the gauge shows 13.09 ft.

The median for mid-October is 13.18 ft, based on 85 years of readings, so the river stage is 0.09 ft below typical. It is 8.91 ft below the flood stage of 22.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 14.32 ft, a difference of −1.23 ft.

It is still going down, by 0.04 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 12.32 ft – 13.74 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns. The water temperature at the gauge is 49 °F.

Compared with 85 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 13.18 ft0.09 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 3.16 ft – 17.16 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (85 years of records)
Same day last year: 14.32 ft−1.23 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 12.32 ft – 13.74 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 11.56 ft – 18.96 ft
Highest on record: 30.38 ftJune 21, 2011

Paddling and fishing conditions

Most paddlers and anglers will find the river in good shape at this stage.

For reference, flood stage is 22.00 ft.

What happens at each level

33.00 ft: Levees surrounding Williston are likely to be topped without additional measures taken to temporarily raise the flood protection levels.
32.50 ft: Missouri River begins to overtop small stretch of levee near Highway 85 bridge and Williston Water Treatment Plant.
30.75 ft: Missouri River begins to cover Highway 85 south of Williston.
30.50 ft: At 30.5 FT...water is near the top of Highway 58 in areas between Fairview and Trenton.
30.00 ft: Water covers portions of 13th Avenue East and 11th Avenue East along the Little Muddy River.
28.00 ft: Water backing up into the Little Muddy River begins to cover 54th Street Northwest on the east side of Williston.
24.00 ft: Water begins to cover oil well location south and east of Williston. Wildlife management areas are flooded. City of Williston does not flood.
22.00 ft: Low-lying farmland and access roads to oil well sites near Trenton are flooded. City of Williston does not flood.
20.00 ft: Ditches in the vicinity of the river will fill and wildlife management lands along the south banks will begin to flood.
13.09 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 %.

Rank	Level	Date
1	30.38 ft	June 21, 2011
2	28.00 ft	April 1, 1912
3	27.15 ft	July 14, 1975
4	26.60 ft	March 8, 1994
5	26.46 ft	March 26, 1978
6	26.10 ft	June 26, 1997
7	25.80 ft	July 4, 1997
8	25.40 ft	March 3, 1986
9	24.02 ft	March 25, 1997
10	23.91 ft	March 20, 2003

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 61° 35° – Wind 12 mph

19 Mon 64° 35° – Wind 17 mph

20 Tue 66° 41° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 65° 44° – Wind 11 mph

22 Thu 73° 50° – Wind 9 mph

23 Fri 76° 56° 0.02 in, 43% Wind 16 mph

24 Sat 55° 38° 0.38 in, 43% Wind 25 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:21 AM Sunset 06:00 PM Daylight 10 hr, 39 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the Missouri River

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River near Wolf Point MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	10.89 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	84 mi
Missouri River near Culbertson MTRiver gauge, Missouri River	3.36 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	35 mi
Missouri River above StantonRiver gauge, Missouri River	61.09 ft	Very low	−0.12 ft	121 mi
Missouri River near StantonRiver gauge, Missouri River	6.88 ft	Very low	−0.23 ft	124 mi
Missouri River near HenslerRiver gauge, Missouri River	11.84 ft	Very low	−0.12 ft	131 mi
Missouri River at WashburnRiver gauge, Missouri River	7.95 ft	Very low	+0.06 ft	137 mi
Missouri River at PriceRiver gauge, Missouri River	16.96 ft	Very low	+0.01 ft	148 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Missouri River North 9 at WillistonRiver gauge, Missouri River North 9	22.76 ft	Normal	+0.04 ft	5.4 mi
Little Muddy River below Cow Creek near WillistonRiver gauge, Little Muddy River	4.65 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	14 mi
Missouri River North 5A at BufordRiver gauge, Missouri River North 5A	7.22 ft	Normal	+0.05 ft	15 mi
Missouri River North 5 at NohlyRiver gauge, Missouri River North 5	63.90 ft	Normal	−0.07 ft	19 mi
Yellowstone River North 2 near CartwrightRiver gauge, Yellowstone River North 2	62.97 ft	Very low	+0.08 ft	21 mi
Missouri River North 4 near NohlyRiver gauge, Missouri River North 4	10.73 ft	Normal	−0.06 ft	21 mi
Yellowstone River North 1 near FairviewRiver gauge, Yellowstone River North 1	8.78 ft	Very low	+0.10 ft	26 mi
Tobacco Garden Creek near Watford CityRiver gauge, Tobacco Garden Creek	2.6 cfs	Normal	−0.1 cfs	27 mi

Questions and answers

Is the Missouri River near Williston higher than last year?

No, it is 1.23 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 14.32 ft.

What is flood stage for the Missouri River near Williston?

The official flood stage is 22.00 ft. The level is currently 8.91 ft below it.

What is a normal level for the Missouri River near Williston in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 13.18 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 3.16 ft and 17.16 ft, based on 85 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 near Williston today?

On Oct 18, 2026, 11:45 PM MDT, the water level was 13.09 ft. Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Missouri River near Williston rising or falling?

Down 0.04 ft over the last 24 hours. Up 0.30 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Missouri River near Williston normal?

Normal for mid-October. Compared with 85 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:06330000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 48.10806, -103.71417 (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	13.09 ft	2026-10-19 05:45	Provisional
Water temperature	49 °F	2026-10-19 05:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Missouri River near Williston (usgs:06330000). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/north-dakota/missouri-river-near-williston

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